


The Flower and the Badger

by ravenclawgirl98



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, The Golden Trio
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 36,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28060935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenclawgirl98/pseuds/ravenclawgirl98
Summary: Anna Noelle Potter is the twin sister of Harry. As much as Harry looks like James, so Anna looks like Lily. Anna and Harry are inseperable, as close as two siblings could possibly be. Join in their adventures as they go to Hogwarts, fight a Dark Lord, and even find love. Previously called the Flower and the Prankster.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Anna groaned as she heard her Aunt Petunia bang on the door of the cupboard that she and her brother Harry shared. 

"Up!" Petunia said in that shrill voice of hers. "Get up! Now!"

Anna and Harry both dressed, and Petunia rapped on the door again. "Are you up yet?"

"Nearly." Harry responded. 

"Well, get a move on! I want you two to look after the bacon and the eggs. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything to be perfect on Duddy's birthday."

Anna and Harry exchanged a look and groaned. Anna sighed as she ran a hand through her unruly red hair. "Better get out there before she throws a fit." She mumbled to Harry, who nodded in response. They opened the cupboard door and went into the kitchen. Harry went to man the bacon frying in the pan while Anna tended to the eggs. She went over to the refrigerator, taking out the tub of butter and the carton of eggs. After melting the butter in a pan she cracked the eggs and proceeded to scramble them. She sighed as she saw the mound of presents that Dudley had received. And yet whenever hers and Harry's birthday rolled around all they got was a hangar or a pair of used socks, if they even got anything at all. Anna and Harry had been living with their Aunt and Uncle for as long as Anna could remember, ever since their parents had both died in a car crash. Anna didn't know anything else about it. Whenever she tried to find out more, Uncle Vernon would hit her and tell her not to ask stupid questions. That was just how it was. While they bullied Harry and such, they almost never hit him. That, unfortunately, always seemed to fall onto Anna's shoulders, even if she had committed the tiniest of infractions. This resulted in her being very fidgety and nervous, but you couldn't exactly blame her. Once breakfast was ready, she and Harry scooped the food onto everyone's plates before feeding themselves. Dudley was currently counting his presents as they sat down. His face fell and Anna inwardly groaned, fearing the temper tantrum that was sure to come. 

"Thirty-six." Dudley said as he looked at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."

"Darling..." Cooed Aunt Petunia. "You haven't counted Auntie Marge's present. See, it's right here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy."

"Alright, thirty-seven then." By this point Dudley had gone red in the face, and the Potter twins began wolfing down their food before Dudley could start kicking and screaming. Aunt Petunia seemed to be able to sense oncoming danger as well, because she quickly added, "and we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that popkin? Two more presents. Is that alright?"

Dudley thought a moment, and Anna thought that he might explode from how hard he was trying. "So I'll have thirty...thirty..."

"Thirty-nine." Anna muttered under her breath, and she quickly looked down at her lap as Uncle Vernon glared at her. His glare changed to a grin as he looked fondly at his son. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He chuckled as he ruffled Dudley's hair. While Dudley was opening the presents, the phone rang, and Aunt Petunia went to go answer it. Anna watched as Dudley opened a new racing bike, a camcorder, an RC airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. Dudley was in the middle of opening a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back, a sour look on her face. 

"Bad news, Vernon. Mrs. Figg's broken her leg, she can't take them." She jerked her head in Harry and Anna's direction. Dudley's mouth fell open, but the twins looked at each other excitedly. Every year their Aunt, Uncle, and Dudley went somewhere fun for Dudley's birthday, and every year Anna and Harry were left behind with their neighbor, Mrs. Figg. Mrs. Figg smelled like stale cabbage and always made them look at pictures of her cats.

"We could phone Marge." Uncle Vernon suggested, but Aunt Petunia shook her head. "Don't be silly, Vernon. Marge hates them."

"You could just leave us here." Harry said, and Aunt Petunia gave them a look so foul that Anna wanted to just sink down into the floor and disappear. She nudged Harry to tell him to shut up before he got them both into trouble.

"I suppose that we could take them to the zoo...." Aunt Petunia said slowly. "...and leave them in the car..."

"That car's brand new!"Uncle Vernon exclaimed. "They're not sitting in it alone!"

Anna had to keep from rolling her eyes as Dudley began to cry loudly. Well, it wasn't actually crying, Dudley hadn't cried in years. But that didn't stop Aunt Petunia from wrapping her arms around the boy. "Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy don't let them ruin your special day!" Just then the doorbell rang and Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in. Piers was a skinny boy who resembled a rat. Whenever he saw Anna, he gave her a look creepy enough that you would hide behind Harry, who would wrap his arms around her.

Half an hour later, The Potters found themselves in the back seat of the Dursley's car. Harry made sure that Anna had a window seat and he sat next to her, so Piers couldn't try anything. Uncle Vernon pulled the car out of the driveway and they were on their way.


	2. Chapter 2

While they drove, Uncle Vernon complained endlessly to Aunt Petunia. Vernon loved to complain. He complained about anything and everything. This morning it was motorcycles. "... Roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums."  
"I had a dream about a motorcycle." Harry said. "It was flying."   
Anna knew right away that they were in for it. Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front of them. He turned in his seat to look at the twins, his face resembling a beet. "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!!" He screamed, making Anna shrink back so much she nearly disappeared into the seat, causing Dudley and Piers to snicker.  
"I know they don't." Harry protested. "It was only a dream."  
Anna wished that Harry hadn't said anything. She hated when Uncle Vernon yelled; it usually resulted in her being slapped. They reached the zoo without further mishap. It was sunny, and the zoo was crowded with families. Vernon and Petunia even bought Harry and Anna lemon ices. Anna and Harry licked the treats as they looked at a gorilla.   
"If it was blonde, it would look exactly like Dudley." Harry whispered to Anna, causing her to snigger. Harry and Anna had the best morning since Anna could remember. They ate lunch in the zoo restaurant and when Dudley had a tantrum because his dessert didn't have enough ice cream, Vernon bought him another one and allowed Anna and Harry to finish his first. But Anna should have known that it was too good to last. After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark, with windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, lizards and snakes of all kinds slithered around. Anna wandered away from Harry, a rattlesnake catching her eye. She sighed. As bad as her life was, at least she wasn't kept in a cage, although the cupboard sure felt like that sometimes. Dudley was complaining about how a snake wasn't moving and Anna rolled her eyes. He had so much to be thankful for, and yet all he did was complain. Anna would give anything to trade lives with him, to have parents that loved her instead of an Aunt and Uncle who beat her whenever they got the chance. Multiple screams interrupted her train of thought, and she turned around, gasping as she saw a Python on the floor, slithering towards her. She froze and watched it with wide eyes as it moved towards the open door. She turned to look at Harry, and her jaw dropped as she saw Dudley behind one of the glass windows, looking absolutely terrified. It took everything she had not to laugh. One look at Uncle Vernon's face, however, and Anna knew that she wouldn't be laughing when they got home.

Uncle Vernon waited until Piers had gone home before starting in on them. He backhanded Anna with such force that she fell to the ground. She put a hand to her burning cheek, hot tears pouring down her face. Uncle Vernon was so angry that he almost couldn't speak. "Go- cupboard- stay- no meals."  
"Come on." Harry murmured, gently helping Anna up, wrapping his arm around her. They went into the cupboard and Anna collapsed on the bed, sobbing. "W-why do they hate us so much?!" She sobbed as Harry enveloped her in a tight hug. "I don't know." he murmured as she cried into his shoulder. She cried so much that she eventually fell into an exhausted slumber.  
"Don't worry." Harry murmured softly. "I'll always be here to keep you safe."


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Harry and Anna were allowed out of the cupboard, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had ruined most of his birthday presents. While the twins were both glad that school was over, there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who came over every day to play their favorite game: Harry and Anna Hunting. Because of this, the duo spent as much time as possible outside. While Anna loved the summertime, she couldn't wait for September because for the first time, she and Harry would be going to a different school then Dudley and his friends. Anna was especially glad to be going to a different school than Piers, who had only gotten more creepy towards her as the summer went on. One day in July, Aunt Petunia decided to take Dudley shopping for his school uniform, leaving Anna and Harry at Mrs. Figg's. As it turned out, the reason the old woman broke her leg was because she had tripped over one of her cats, and was no longer as fond of them. Instead of making them look at pictures of her cats, she let them watch TV and she gave them chocolate cake that tasted like it was several years old.   
The next morning, Harry and Anna went into the kitchen and Anna wrinkled her nose. It smelled like rotten eggs. It turned out that Petunia was dying clothes for their school uniforms. Anna's was 3 times too big, not that Aunt Petunia cared. The click of the mouse lot could be heard and Anna went to go fetch the mail. Most of it was bills and such, but then...  
Anna bit back a gasp, and blinked, unsure if she read it right. Yet there it was:  
'Miss A. Potter  
The Cupboard under the stairs  
4 Privet Drive  
Little Whinging  
Surrey.'

There was a similar letter for Harry as well.  
"Hurry up!" Uncle Vernon shouted, and Anna scurried back into the kitchen, giving Vernon the bills and Harry his letter before sitting down and starting to open her own.   
"Dad!" Dudley shouted. "Anna and Harry got something!"  
"Hey!"Harry exclaimed as the letters were ripped out of their hands by Uncle Vernon. "That's mine!"  
"Who would be sending you a letter?" Vernon sneered as he unfolded one of the letters and began to read it. In a flash the color of his face matched the hue of the porridge that they were having for breakfast. "P-P-Petunia!"  
Dudley try to grab the letter, but it was quickly snatched away by Petunia. "Vernon! Oh my goodness- Vernon!"  
Dudley was still trying to get the letter. "Get out." Uncle Vernon croaked. "All three of you." But Harry wasn't giving up. "I WANT MY LETTER!" He shouted.   
"OUT!" Vernon grabbed both boys by the scruff of their necks, and Anna yelped as Petunia grabbed her by the ear and threw her out of the kitchen. The door closed as the two adults went back into the kitchen, and Harry and Dudley had a silent but furious fight over who would get to listen at the keyhole. Dudley, of course, won and Anna laid on the floor so that she could listen through the crack in the door.   
"Vernon," Aunt Petunia said in a shaky voice. "Look at the address. How could they possibly know where Anna and Harry sleep? You don't think they're watching the house?"  
"Watching- spying- might be following us." Vernon sounded absolutely wild.  
"But what should we do Vernon? Write them back? Tell them we don't want-"  
"No." Vernon said firmly. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer... Yes, that's best. Period. We won't do anything."  
"But-"  
"I'm not having any of them in this house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took them in that we would stamp out this dangerous nonsense?"   
Anna and Harry exchanged a look. Who had written them, and why were their aunt and uncle so scared?

That evening, Vernon suddenly decided that the cupboard was too small for both Anna and Harry, so Harry would be moving upstairs into a spare bedroom. Anna, however, would remain downstairs in the cupboard. She wouldn't mind it so much, but she would miss Harry. Anna sighed as she stared around the cupboard. She was lonely without her brother. Oh well, she would manage. She laid down, falling into an uneasy sleep.  
As the days went on, Uncle Vernon began to get more and more paranoid. The letters kept coming, making Uncle Vernon turn purple every time. once Harry had snuck downstairs to get the mail early one morning, only to find Vernon asleep in front of the door. On Friday no less than twelve letters arrived for the twins. Saturday was when things really started to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters came, each rolled up and hidden inside the two dozen eggs that a very confused milkman handed to Aunt Petunia.  
"Who wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry and Anna in amazement as Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor. Sunday morning Uncle Vernon came into the kitchen, looking a bit ill, but also extremely giddy. "No post on Sundays." He said happily as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, Anna fighting not to burst out into laughter. Almost as soon as he spoke, thirty or forty letters came whizzing down the kitchen chimney, and Vernon dragged Anna and Harry out of the room before they could grab any letters. When Petunia and Dudley join them in the hall,Vernon announced that everyone was leaving. Ten minutes later they started driving. Anna didn't think Vernon knew where he was driving, but she didn't dare say anything. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a bit, muttering about 'shaking them off'. They didn't stop until late evening outside a gloomy looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. The following morning they had breakfast of stale corn flakes and tinned tomatoes on toast. After breakfast two more letters came for Anna and Harry. Aunt Petunia suggested going home, but Uncle Vernon wouldn't hear of it. He drove all the way to the coast, locking them all in the car before disappearing. It started to rain and Dudley complained about how he couldn't watch his favorite Monday night TV program. Monday... Anna suddenly remembered that it was her and Harry's birthday the next day. They would be eleven years old. Anna wondered what color socks they would get that year and how many holes they would have. Vernon came back then, a great big smile on his face and a long, thin package in his arms. "Found the perfect place!" He exclaimed. "Come on, everybody out!"   
Anna rubbed her arms as she got out, it was absolutely freezing. Uncle Vernon pointed at what looked like a rock out at sea. He really had gone crazy. Perched on top of the rock was a tiny little shack.Uncle Vernon rented them a boat and had also gotten them rations. It took about a half-hour for Vernon to row out to the shack. It smelled horrible, like seaweed and mold. There were only two rooms, and the one fireplace was damp and empty. Their rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas. As night fell and they got ready for bed, Aunt Petunia found a few thin, moldy blankets and made a bed for Dudley on the moth bitten couch. she and Vernon took the one bedroom, leaving Anna and Harry to curl up on the floor, huddling together for warmth. Neither Anna nor Harry could sleep.   
"It'll be our birthday tomorrow." Harry, did, and Anna nodded. "Eleven years old." She murmured, looking at him. "Think we'll actually get socks without holes in them?"  
"I wouldn't hold out any hope." Harry chuckled quietly so as not to wake Dudley, who was snoring away. "What do you think was in those letters?" Anna shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but whoever sending them really wants to talk to us."   
"Yeah, I wonder-" He was interrupted by a booming sound. Someone was knocking on the door forcefully enough to make the entire shack quiver. Anna sat straight up. Who could That be? Was it the man who had rented them the shack, or would they finally be meeting the person who had been sending them all of those letters?


	4. Chapter 4

There was another boom as the stranger knocked again, causing Dudley to finally jerk awake. "Where's the cannon?" He asked, causing both Harry and Anna to roll their eyes. Anna heard a crash before Uncle Vernon came tumbling into the room, holding a rifle in his hands. "Who's there?!" He shouted. "I'm armed!"  
For a moment there was silence, and Anna thought that perhaps the mystery person have been scared off, although Vernon was shaking so much he probably couldn't hit his target if his life depended on it. Then...Anna gave a small scream of surprised as the door was hit with such force that it was not clear off of its hinges. A giant man stood there, his whole face almost covered by a light brown beard. Anna would have been terrified if not for the kindness that sparkled in his black eyes. He somehow managed to squeeze himself into the shack and he bent down, picking up the door and fixing it back on to the frame. He then turn to gaze at everyone. "Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey." He plopped down on the couch after making a petrified Dudley scoot over. Dudley hid behind his mother who was hiding in turn behind Uncle Vernon. The stranger looked at Harry and Anna, a smile on his face.   
"An' here's Harry an' Anna! Las' time I saw you two, you was jus' two little babies. Harry, ya look jus' like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes, while Anna here is almos' the spittin' image of yer mum."   
Anna found herself smiling at the man. She couldn't seem to help it. Uncle Vernon, however, was definitely not smiling. "I demand that you leave at once, sir! You are breaking and entering!"   
"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great big prune!" The large man said, and Anna watched in surprise as he grabbed the shotgun,sending it into a not as easily as though it is made of soft rubber before tossing it into a corner of the room. "Anyway, Harry, Anna." He now completely ignored Uncle Vernon. "A very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here- I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right." he reached into an inside pocket of his ginormous coat, withdrawing a squashed box. Harry and Anna opened it with somewhat trembling fingers. Inside was a large chocolate cake with ' Happy Birthday Harry and Anna ' written in green icing. Anna would have bet anything that it tasted 10 times better than Mrs. Figg's cake. An event the man, but all Harry could ask was, "who are you?"   
Anna wanted to rebuke Harry for being rude, but the stranger chuckled, seemingly unoffended. "True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. What about that tea then, eh?" He rubbed his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind." His eyes wandered to the empty fireplace and he snorted. Anna watched as he walked over to the fireplace. She couldn't see exactly what it was that he was doing, but a few seconds later there was a roaring fire. He then sat back down on the couch, pulling an assortment of different items from his coat. Anna's eyes widened as he pulled out of a kettle, a package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several tea cups with multiple chips, and a bottle of what Anna suspected to be brandy.the smell of cooking sausages filled the room, causing Anna's stomach to growl loudly. No one said a word as he worked. Finally he slid the sausages off the poker, and Anna bigt back a giggle as Dudley fidgeted a bit.   
"Don't take anything he gives you, Dudley!"Uncle Vernon said sharply, and Hagrid chuckled darkly. "Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore Dursley, don' worry." He then passed the sausages to Harry and Anna, who devoured their helpings. Anna had never tasted anything so delicious in her entire life. "I'm sorry," Harry said to Hagrid, "but I still don't know who you are."   
Hagrid took a sip of his tea before responding. "Call me Hagrid, everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. Yeh'll know all about Hogwarts o' course."   
Harry and Anna exchanged a confused look. What the hell was Hogwarts?   
"Sorry." Harry told Hagrid apologetically.   
"Sorry?" Barked Hagrid, turning to look at the Dursleys, who were trying to hide themselves in the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh two weren't gettin' yer letters, but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know about Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"   
"Learned all what?" Anna asked. She honestly had no idea what Hagrid was talking about.   
"ALL WHAT?!" Hagrid's angry, booming voice made Anna whimper softly. Hagrid's anger wasn't directed at her, but at the Dursleys. "Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, well, mostly Vernon, "that these two don' know nothin' about ANYTHING?"   
Harry seemed a bit offended by this. "We know some things. we can, you know, do math and stuff. And can you please not shout? You're scaring my sister."  
"Sorry." Hagrid apologized, his voice considerably more quiet than what it had previously been. "But I'm talkin' about our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parent's world." Anna shook her head, more perplexed than ever. "Hagrid, we have no idea what you're even talking about."  
"DURSLEY!!" He roared, and Uncle Vernon whispered some gibberish that Anna couldn't make out. "But yeh must know about yer mum an' dad. Hagrid said to the twins. "I mean, they're famous. Harry, you're famous."  
Harry famous? Last Anna checked, Harry hadn't done anything exceptionally remarkable. Uncle Vernon finally seemed to have found his voice. "Stop! I forbid you to tell the children anything!"  
even the most courageous of men would have cowered under the look Hagrid gave Vernon. "You never told them? never told them what was in the letter that Dumbledore left for them? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from them all these years?"   
Harry and Anna glanced at each other, each wondering exactly what was in the letter. "What have they kept from us?" Harry pressed Hagrid eagerly.   
"I FORBID YOU!" Vernon continued to shout, and Aunt Petunia gasped in horror. By this point Hagrid was mostly ignoring them. "Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh." Said Hagrid. "Harry, you and yer sister are wizards- although if you want to be politically correct, Anna here would be a witch."   
"I'm a what?" Anna and Harry simultaneously gasped. And I couldn't believe it. Which is, wizards, magic, it wasn't real, it was something you read about in novels.  
"Yer a witch an' wizard o' course." Hagrid took up his spot on the sofa once more. "An' thumpin' good ones, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's about time yeh read your letters."  
Anna eagerly grab hers, taking a moment before she ripped it open. Finally she was about to figure out what was in all those mystery letters that had never arrived.


	5. Chapter 5

Anna's heartbeat quicken as her eyes scanned over the yellow parchment:  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards   
Dear Miss Potter,  
we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

Millions of questions ran through and his head. Awaiting her owl? She was about to ask Hagrid what that meant when Harry beat her to it.  
"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me." Said Hagrid. From yet another pocket he pulled out an owl. An actual, live owl! It was rather ruffled looking, but Anna thought it was beautiful all the same. She watched as Hagrid wrote a letter, presumably to that Dumbledore fellow, attached the letter to the owl's leg, and toss the owl out into the storm. And I'll look as Uncle Vernon came back into the fire light.   
"They aren't going, neither one of them."  
"We are too!" And I shouted, surprising everyone, but especially herself. "You've been lying to us our whole lives, and I'm not putting up with it anymore."   
Hagrid started to laugh. "Way to tell that Muggle."  
"A what?" Harry asked.  
"A muggle. It's what we call non magic folk."  
"We swore when we took them in that we'd put a stop to that rubbish!" Vernon shouted, and Harry and Anna looked at him in shock. "You knew?"   
"Knew?!" Shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that- that school- and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawns, and- and turning teacups into rats! I was the only one who saw her for what she was! A freak! Then she meant that Potter at school and they left and got married, and have you too, and I know you be the same, just as abnormal, and then she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"  
Blown up? Anna had always been told that they had died in a car crash. "B-But you said they had died in a car crash-"   
"CAR CRASH?" Hagrid shouted, causing the Dursleys to scurry back into their corner. "How could a car crash killed Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry an' Anna Potter not knowing their own stories when every kid in our world knows Harry's name!"  
"Hagrid..." Anna's lower lip started to quiver. "H-how did they die?"  
Hagrid's look of anger turned to one of anxiety. "I never expected this. I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know." and Hagrid begin to tell them what had really happened, how their parents had been killed by a powerful dark wizard called Voldemort, how Voldemort had tried to kill Harry and failed.   
. Her parents...murdered. She went away a few tears that had fallen down her face. Once more Uncle Vernon try to intervene.  
"I AM NOT PAYING SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH THEM MAGIC TRICKS!"   
this was the final straw for Hagrid. He grabbed his umbrella, waving it over his head. "NEVER INSULT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN FRONT OF ME!" he brought the umbrella down and pointed it at Dudley. There was a flash of light, a cracking sound, then Anna burst out laughing as she saw a pig's tail spring out of Dudley's fat bottom. Uncle Vernon grab Dudley and Aunt Petunia, dashing into the bedroom and slamming the door shut.  
"Shouldn't have done that." Hagrid said ruefully. "Be grateful if yer didn't mention that to anyone at Hogwarts, I'm not supposed ter use magic."  
"Don't worry." Anna said. "We won't tell a soul."  
"Anyways, it's late and we got lots to do tomorrow. Get yer books and all that." hacker took off his coat and he gave it to the twins to use as a blanket. It easily covered both of them. They laid down, and Anna quickly drifted off into Dreamland.


	6. Chapter 6

Anna awoke the next morning to hear Harry yelping. "What on Earth..."  
"Hagrid's owl tried to bite me!"  
"Ye gotta pay him." Hagrid mumbled from the sofa, still half asleep. "He wants payment for deliverin' the paper. Look in my pockets."  
Anna and Harry rummaged around in the giant's coat pockets until Harry with Drew a handful of odd-looking coins.   
"Give him five Knuts." Hagrid murmured. "The little bronze ones."  
Harry counted out the coins, putting them into a little leather pouch that was attached to the owls leg.   
"Best be off, ye two." Hagrid said as he sat up and stretched. "Lots ter do today, gotta get ter London an' buy all yet stuff fer school." Anna's heart began to sink. How would they buy all the things that they needed? Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia definitely wouldn't pay for it, and Anna and Harry had absolutely no way of avoiding it. But Hagrid assured them that they wouldn't have to worry. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anythin'?"  
"But Hagrid..." Harry protested. "If their house was destroyed-"  
"They didn't keep their gold in the house! First stop fer us is Gringotts, the wizards bank. Wizards just have one bank. Gringotts, run by goblins."   
Goblins? They were real too? Nothing should surprise Anna anymore.  
"Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, yeh two. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anythin' yet want ter keep safe. 'Cept fer maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyways. Fer Dumbledore. Official Hogwarts business." Hagrid suddenly stood up straight, seemingly proud of himself. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you, gettin' things from Gringotts. He trusts me, see? Got everythin'? Come on, then."  
Anna and Harry followed him outside. The storm had stopped, and Anna looked around for Hagrid's boat, but the only one she could see was Uncle Vernon's, which was now filled with water. "How did you get here, Hagrid?"   
"Flew." Hagrid responded.  
"Flew?"  
"Yeah, but we'll go back in this boat here."   
Anna giggled at the look she imagined would be on Vernon's face when he discovered that their only way of getting back to shore had been hijacked.   
"Not supposed ter use magic, now I got yeh two." Hagrid continued.  
They settled down in the boat, Anna sitting cross legged so as not to get her feet wet. Hagrid gave them an odd look. "Seems a shame ter row though. If I was, to, er, speed things up, could yeh not mention to anyone at Hogwarts?"   
Anna and Harry, both eager to see more magic, promised Hagrid that they wouldn't tell a soul. Hagrid tapped the boat with his umbrella, and it began to speed off towards shore. Anna's hair flew behind her, and she laughed in delight. She still wasn't entirely sure that this wasn't a dream, that she would wake up in the cobweb filled cupboard. Anna dangled her fingers in the water. Now that it wasn't stormy, the lake was actually quite beautiful, and fish could be seen swimming just below the surface. If this was a dream, Anna didn't want to ever wake up.

When they reached shore, they started walking down the street. People gawked at Hagrid, but Anna couldn't exactly blame them, especially when Hagrid did things like point at a parking meter and say, "see that, Harry? Anna? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"   
They soon reached the train station, and Hagrid, having absolutely no idea how to figure out Muggle money, gave it to Harry to sort out. People stared even more as they got onto the train, especially when Hagrid started to knit. Anna read her letter again, seeing exactly what it was that she would need. Multiple books, robes, dragon hide gloves, a winter cloak, a wand, a pewter cauldron, glass phials, a telescope, and brass scales. They were also allowed to have a pet.  
Anna and Harry had never been to London before, and Anna gazed around in awe as they walked off the train and out of the station. There was so much to see, music and book shops, restaurants, cinemas, but nothing that appeared to be magical.   
"This is it." Hagrid said as they stopped in front of a building. "The Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."  
For such a famous place, it seemed rather shabby. A few old women sat in a corner, and a little man stood talking to the bartender. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in, and suddenly everyone got up and came over, each person trying to shake Harry's hand. Anna flu herself being pushed out of the way, and she watched with a frown. Anna wasn't going to lie, she felt a bit jealous at all the attention that her brother was getting. Then, to her surprise, one of the people, a pale young man made his way over to her. "M-M-Miss Potter." He stuttered out as he shook her hand. "P-Professor Q-Quirrel. I'm going to b-be one of y-your teachers at H-Hog-Hogwarts."  
Anna felt sorry for him and his awful stutter. "A pleasure, Professor." She said, smiling at him. "What class will you be teaching?"  
"D-Defense Against the D-Dark Arts."  
Well, it seemed like Hogwarts wasn't going to be all rainbows and unicorns. Hagrid and Harry joined them then. "Time ter get goin'." Hagrid said. "We'll see you at school, Professor." Anna waved to Professor Quirrel as they left. While he seemed very nervous, overall he had seemed nice. However, Anna couldn't shake the feeling that something seemed off about him. If only she knew how right she would turn out to be.


	7. Chapter 7

When they left, Hagrid took them to the pub's courtyard. "Is Mr. Quirrel always so nervous?" Anna asked Hagrid.  
"Oh yeah. Poor bloke." Hagrid shook his head regretfully. "Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag- never been the same since." Anna felt even more pity for him. Quirrel couldn't couldn't seem to catch a break, the poor man. Anna's thoughts turned from Quirrel as she watched Hagrid tap the courtyard wall with his umbrella, and her eyes widened as a hole appeared in the wall, growing bigger and bigger until it was bug enough for even Hagrid to comfortably walk through. Anna gasped as she looked around. It was like she had stepped into a whole different world. There were all kinds of shops, advertising things like wands and cauldrons.  
"We gotta get yer money first." Hagrid said as they passed a shop advertising collapsible cauldrons. Anna couldn't take everything in, there was so much to see. A plump woman sat outside of an apothecary, advertising dragon liver. Then there was a shop filled with owls, another selling broomsticks. Anna thought her head might explode. More shops, selling robes and telescopes. Finally they reached a white building. Gringotts. Anna wasn't going to lie, she was a bit excited to see a goblin.  
Goblins turned out to be short, maybe four or five inches shorter than Anna. The one standing in front of her had a pointed beard, and very long fingers and feet. The goblin led them to a pair of doors, and Anna read the words engraved on the door:  
'Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed,  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay dearly in their turn  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there'

"Like I told yeh," Hagrid said in a quiet voice. "Yeh'd be mad ter try and rob it."   
As they walked through the doors, a pair of goblins bowed to them. About a hundred or so more goblins sat perched on high stools behind a long counter, writing who knew what and ledgers. Others were weighing coins, or examining precious stones. Anna walked with Hagrid and Harry to a free goblin. "Mornin'." Hagrid greeted him. Her? Anna wasn't sure if the goblin was male or female. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. and Miss Potter's safe."  
The goblin eyed them somewhat suspiciously, as though trying to decide whether or not they were robbers. "You have your key sir?"   
"Got it here somewhere." Hagrid pulled out a bunch of moldy dog biscuits before finally taking out a tiny golden key. The goblin closely inspected it. "That seems to be in order."  
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore. It's about the you-know-what in vault seven hundred and thirteen."  
Anna's ears immediately perked up. What was Hagrid talking about? What could this mystery object be? Hagrid obviously didn't want Anna and Harry to know what it was. Anna would have asked, but she knew what happened whenever she asked questions. She doubted Hagrid would do anything, certainly nothing to the extent that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had, but Anna would rather be safe than sorry, so she kept silent. The teller called out for someone named Griphook, who turned out to be yet another goblin. Griphook led them through yet another door and down a narrow stone passageway that felt like it should have been in a dungeon. Little railway tracks were on the floor. Griphook whistled sharply, and a little cart came flying towards them. Everyone climbed inside, and they were off. The cart hurtled at a breakneck speed, and Anna laughed in delight. Hagrid, however, looked like he might puke at any moment. At last the cart stopped, and Hagrid quickly scrambled out, his legs trembling. Griphook unlocked the vault that stood in front of them, and the door swung open. Anna felt like she might faint. Inside were mounds upon mounds of coins. All of it theirs. Anna couldn't speak, only utter little squeaking sounds. Not even the Dursleys had this much money. Hagrid chuckled softly as he filled two little bags for them. "The gold ones are Galleons, and the silver ones are Sickles. Right, that should be enough for a couple o' terms." He turned back to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred amd thirteen, and can we go more slowly?"  
"One speed only." Griphook replied and Anna patted Hagrid's arm sympathetically. "Tough luck."  
Vault seven hundred and thirteen was odd in the fact that it had no keyhole. Griphook touched the door and it melted away. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried to do that, they'd be sucked through the door and would be trapped in there." Warned Griphook, and Anna gulped nervously. She didn't know why Hagrid was being so secretive, the only thing in the vault was a shabby looking package.   
"Come on," Hagrid said as the twins peered inside. "Back inside this infernal cart, and don't talk ter me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut."


	8. Chapter 8

Their first stop after Gringotts was a shop called 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.' Hagrid explained that this was where they would be getting their robes for school. He didn't accompany them inside aa he desperately needed a drink after their harrowing cart ride. While Malkin took Harry to be fitted, another witch took Anna. The witch was taller, with dark brown hair and light blue eyes. She was older, around sixty or so. She introduced herself as Nessa. "And what's your name dear?" She asked as she measured Anna. "Anna." The girl murmured.  
"Oh yes, you're the Potter girl, aren't you?" Anna nodded. "Yes, Harry's my twin."  
Nessa tutted as she worked. "People shouldn't be making such a fun over you two, I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be."  
"I wouldn't know." Anna said. "Everyone wants to see Harry, I sort of just get pushed to the side." Although that was probably for the best. Because while Anna knew that Harry didn't want the spotlight, he handled it a lot better than Anna would have. Surprisingly, Nessa didn't ask her questions about Harry. Rather, she asked Anna questions about herself. What Anna liked to do, what her hobbies were, her interests. Time flew by, and before she knew it, Anna was rejoining Harry in the front of the shop. She noticed him frowning at a blonde boy that was leaving. "Everything okay?"  
"Peachy." Harry muttered. "You look like you had a better time than I did." Anna told him all about Nessa."She was _so_ nice Harry. I think you would really like her."  
After Hagrid picked them up, he took them out to get ice cream. Anna got chocolate chip with hot fudge and sprinkles. She happily ate her ice cream. This was the best day ever, and it wasn't even over. She listened as Hagrid explained to Harry about a wizard sport called Quidditch. Then he told told them how Hogwarts students were sorted into four different houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.  
"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff." Harry said gloomily. "Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin." Hagrid replied.  
"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Anna asked curiously.  
"Because there ain't a single dark witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-know-who was one."  
Once they had finished their ice cream, Hagrid took them to a shop called Flourish and Blotts to get their textbooks. Hagrid had to stop Harry from getting books on how to curse Dudley. They also bought their cauldrons, scales, and brass telescopes. Then they went to the apothecary to buy some basic Potions ingredients. When they got back outside, Hagrid checked their lists again. "Now all yeh need is yer wands. And I still haven't got yeh yer birthday presents yet." Anna blushed profusely. "Hagrid, you really don't have to-"  
"I know I don't. Tell yeh what. I'll get yer animals. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago. I don't like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yeh owls. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail and everythin'.

Twenty minutes later they came out of the owl emporium. Anna had chosen a tawny owl and had dubbed him Apollo. The twins thanked Hagrid profusely, making Hagrid flush every time. Their final stop was Ollivanders, where they would purchase their wands. This was what Anna had been waiting for all day. They walked into the shop, and Anna wandered away from Harry and Hagrid, looking at all the boxes containing different wands. She could hear what must be Ollivander distinctly talking to Harry and Hagrid as she wandered deeper into the shop. There was a light breeze, but Anna's mind didn't register this as unnatural. Suddenly she froze. A whispery, ethereal voice could be heard. ' _Anna..._ '  
"Who's there?" Anna called as she cautiously made her way forwards.  
' _Anna...come find me..._ '  
"Who are you?!" Anna continued deeper and deeper into the shop, the wind picking up the deeper in that she went. What was going on? Then the voice let out an ear piercing shriek, and Anna covered her ears. It lasted only for a moment, and she uncovered her ears. She looked around, but no one was there. Anna had wound up in a small room. She yelped as the door closed behind her. Her attention was diverted by a small stand which contained a wand, and the girl slowly began to make her way forwards.


	9. Chapter 9

The wand was about ten inches in length, and pure white in color. There was a plaque as well: ' _This wand belonged to Adriana Petrival, who was perhaps the darkest witch in history. She lived from 1029 to 1240, when she was finally defeated by Merlin.'_  
Curiously Anna picked up the wand. Once more wind rushed through the room. "I see you have discovered the wand of Liliana the Bloody." Anna gasped and whirled around to face Ollivander. "I-I'm sorry..."  
Ollivander chuckled. "It's quite all right." Anna moved to put the wand back on its stand, but he stopped her. "The wand chooses the wizard, and it seems like this wand has chosen you as its new master. Usually a wand goes to the person who defeated its original owner, but Merlin gave this wand to my ancestors, and decreed that it only be given to someone pure of heart, and that, my dear, would seem to be you. I can't say I'm surprised, given who your mother was. Now come, Hagrid and your brother are wondering where you are."

It was late, nearing five o'clock by the time they left Diagon Alley and went back to the train station. Just before Hagrid boarded the train, he gave them two tickets for the Hogwarts Express. Anna sighed. Back to the Dursleys and back to hell.

Going back wasn't actually wasn't as bad as Anna had expected it to be. They hadn't hit her once. For the most part, they acted like Anna and Harry didn't even exist, which was perfectly fine with her. They awoke bright and early on September first. At half past ten they reached King's Cross station. They were supposed to go to Platform 9¾, only problem was...there was no Platform 9¾. Uncle Vernon started to snicker. "There you are. Platform nine, Platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in between. But they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?" Laughing, the Dursleys left the station.  
"Harry..." Anna whispered, trying not to panic. She was on the verge of tears when a red headed woman walked past, muttering about Muggles. She was with a large family- maybe four or five kids, each distinguished by flaming red hair. What looked like the oldest walked towards platforms nine and ten...and disappeared. Anna blinked as he walked straight through the wall that seperated the platforms.  
"Fred, you next." The woman said.  
"I'm not Fred, I'm George." 'Fred' answered. "Honestly woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you _tell_ I'm George?"  
"Sorry, George, dear."  
"Only joking, I am Fred."  
This caused Anna to giggle a bit, which gained Fred's attention. He came over to her. "First year going to Hogwarts?"  
"Was it that obvious?" Anna asked, her cheeks going slightly red.  
"Come on." Fred smirked a little bit. "Why don't I show you how it's done? I'm Fred by the way, and this is my twin George." George grinned at Anna. She found herself liking the identical twins almost immediately. "I'm Anna."  
"Short for Annabell I assume?"  
"Annaliese." She smirked mischeviously. "You know, when you assume you make an ass of both you and me."  
Fred and George both started to laugh. "I hope you're a Gryffindor." George said. "You would fit right in."  
"Gryffindor is your house then?"  
"Yeah-" He was interrupted by the red headed woman. "Dears, while I'm glad that you made a new friend, if you don't go through the barrier now you'll be late. Why don't you show her how it's done?"  
"Sure Mum." Fred answered. "Annie, just do what I do." He pushed his cart, breaking into a run. "Follow me!" Anna began to run too, pushing the cart with all her might. They neared the wall, and Anna closed her eyes, preparing to run right into the wall.


	10. Chapter 10

But Anna didn't run into the wall. She ran right through it. Slowly she opened her eyes. A scarlet steam engine stood in front of her, the platform was jam packed with people. "Pretty great, isn't it?" Fred asked, and Anna could only nod in response.  
"Oi, Lee!" George called out to someone in the crowd. "C'mon, Fred."  
"See you later, Annie!" Fred said before taking off after his brother. Anna looked around for Harry but she couldn't find him anywhere. She might as well find an empty train car. She walked down the long hall until she found an unoccupied carriage. A few minutes after she entered the carriage, however, a boy a couple years older than she was entered. He had handsome features, with dark hair and bright, intelligent grey eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry." He said. "But this was the first empty carriage I could find. Do you mind if I join you?"  
"Of course not." Anna replied as she sat down. "Go right ahead."  
"Thanks." He sat across from her. "I'm Cedric by the way. Cedric Diggory."  
"Anna Potter."  
His eyes widened. "As in-"  
"The sister of the seemingly infamous Harry Potter? Yeah, that's me."  
"What's it like? Having to deal with all of that fame?"  
"I couldn't say, Harry's the famous one, not me."  
Anna and Cedric talked about anything and everything. Cedric was one of the nicest people that Anna had ever met. The time passed quickly, and a large castle loomed in the distance. "Is that Hogwarts?" Anna asked in amazement, and Cedric nodded. "Yeah, that's the school. When we get to the station in Hogsmeade, you and all of the other first years will get in boats and cross the lake to get to the castle." Anna nodded in response. "Thanks for keeping me company."  
"Of course." He gave her a genuine smile. "You're a very nice person to be around. I hope that you get sorted into Hufflepuff." Anna grinned at him. "Maybe I will. Someone needs to keep you out of trouble."  
"Hey!" Cedric protested, laughing lightly. "I think we both know that you're the real troublemaker here."  
Anna scoffed, pretending to be hurt by his comment. "You wound me."  
Laughing, they walked off of the train, and Anna spotted Harry. "There's my brother. I'll see you later, Cedric."  
"Yeah, see you Anna."  
Anna walked over to Harry. He was standing with a red-headed boy who introduced himself as Ron Weasley. Ron turned out to be Fred's younger brother. "Where were you?" Harry asked as Hagrid began directing the first years towards a group of boats.  
"I was sitting with this third year named Cedric."  
"Cedric Diggory?" Ron asked and Anna nodded. "Yeah, do you know him?"  
"Every Hogwarts student knows him. According to Percy, he's called the Heartthrob of Hogwarts."  
Anna snorted. "Is that why when I came out of the train with him, every girl looked like they wanted to kill me?" Ron shook his head. "It's no laughing matter. A lot of girls would murder to be with him."  
A girl stepped onto their boat with them, much to the chagrin of Harry and Ron. They were even more surprised when Anna started to get along with her. Hermione Granger was incredibly bright. Any questions that Anna had about the wizarding world, Hermione was quick to answer. Others might see Hermione as pompous and arrogant, but Anna saw it as Hermione thinking that she needed to prove herself because she was a Muggle-born. They soon reached the castle and Hagrid knocked on the door. A moment later it began to slowly swing open.


	11. Chapter 11

A black-haired witch stood at the door. She had a very stern looking expression, and Anna made a mental note to never cross her. The woman led the students down the huge entrance hall, and into a small, empty chamber.  
"Welcome to Hogwarts." The woman, who said that they could call her Professor McGonagall, greeted them. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. Now, the Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the rest of the school. I shall return when we are ready for you."  
Professor McGonagall left then, and Anna bit her lip. They would be sorted in front of the whole school. What if she did something to embarrass herself?  
"Don't worry," Hermione assured her. "I'm sure that you'll do fine."  
Anna gave her a small smile. "Thanks Hermione." Suddenly she gasped, along with the rest of the students. About twenty ghosts floated into the room. They were arguing about someone named Peeves, whoever that was. One of the ghosts suddenly seemed to notice the students.  
"New students!" He exclaimed, smiling at them. "About to be sorted I suppose?"  
A few students silently nodded, everyone too scared to actually speak.  
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."  
"Move along, now." Snapped a sharp voice which Anna quickly identified as belonging to Professor McGonagall. One by one, the ghosts floated back through the wall. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat before turning to the students. "Now form a line and follow me."  
Everyone rushed to do so. Like Anna, they realized the woman was not one to be trifled with. Anna walked behind Hermione, and in front of a pug-faced girl named Pansy Parkinson. Anna disliked Pansy immediately, from the moment that Pansy started making fun of Hermione, taunting her and calling her a Mudblood. Anna didn't know what a Mudblood was, but she could tell that it was a slur of some sort.  
"I'd be careful if I were you." Anna growled at Pansy. "At least she doesn't look like a dog."  
"Watch it, Potter." Pansy snapped. "Or you may find yourself in a very uncomfortable situation."  
"Is that a threat?"  
"It's a promise."  
"Don't." Hermione hissed to Anna. "You don't need to be getting into trouble on your first night."  
Anna took a deep breath. Hermione was right. They were led into the Great Hall, where hundreds of students were gathered. To control her rising anxiety, Anna diverted her attention to an extremely worn-looking hat that sat perched on a stool. Anna wondered if the hat had anything to do with how they would be sorted. For about ten seconds, complete silence filled the Hall, then the hat began to sing:  
 _"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_  
 _But don't judge on what you see_  
 _I'll eat myself if you can find_  
 _A smarter hat than me_  
 _You can keep your bowlers black,_  
 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_  
 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_  
 _And I can cap them all._  
 _There's nothing hidden in your head_  
 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_  
 _So try me on and I will tell you_  
 _Where you ought to be_  
 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_  
 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_  
 _Their daring, nerve and chivalry_  
 _Set Gryffindor apart;_  
 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_  
 _Where they are just and loyal,_  
 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_  
 _And unafraid of toil;_  
 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_  
 _If you've A ready mind,_  
 _Where those of wit and learning,_  
 _Will always find their kind;_  
 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_  
 _You'll make your real friends,_  
 _Those cunning folk use any means_  
 _To achieve their ends._  
 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_  
 _And don't get in a flap!_  
 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_  
 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_  
The entire hall burst out into loud applause, and the hat bowed to them before going still. So all that they had to do was try on the Hat. That didn't seem too hard to Anna. One by one people were called forwards. Hannah Abbot was sorted into Hufflepuff. Terry Boot was placed in Ravenclaw. Hermione was put in Gryffindor. Then..."Potter, Anna!"  
Anna slowly walked forwards and sat on the stool, looking out at the hundreds of students as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.


	12. Chapter 12

The Hat was so large that it slid over Anna's head, completely covering her eyes. "Hmm..." The hat mused, causing Anna to squirm a bit. "You are most definitely an interesting one. Brave, although you don't yet know it. Loyal, especially where your brother is concerned. Smart as well, and you can be cunning when you want to be. Yet you are also pure of heart. You would have to be, for Ollivander to be able to allow you to possess the wand of Adriana Petrival. Well then, better be... Gryffindor!"  
Loud cheers and applause came from the Gryffindor table, and Anna grinned as she took off the hat and jumped off of the stool. Fred pulled her into an empty seat beside him. "I could tell from the moment I met you that you were Gryffindor material."  
Anna was made even happier when Harry was sorted into Gryffindor as well. So was Ron. Anna didn't think the Weasley had ever looked so relieved in his entire life. After the last first year, Blaise Zabini, had been sorted into Slytherin, Professor Dumbledore stood, causing the hall to be silent once more. "Welcome!" He said, beaming at the students. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"  
Anna had to struggle to not burst out into laughter. "Is he always so..."  
"Weird?" Fred asked with a light laugh. "Yeah, he is. Right odd fellow but you get used to him after a bit."  
All of a sudden food appeared on the table in front of them, and Anna's eyes widened at the sheer volume. There were all sorts of foods. Various meats, cheeses, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, warm crusty bread, dozens of different desserts. Anna didn't know where to start. While the Potters had never been starved, they had definitely never been able to eat as much as they would like.  
"You're acting like you've never seen food before." Dean Thomas commented as he passed her a big bowl of mashed potatoes. "Just never this much." She answered as she spooned some of the creamy potatoes onto her plate before drizzling some gravy on top. "The Dursleys never really fed us a lot of food."  
"Spend the summer at our place." Ron said as he bit into a chicken drumsticks. "Mum will fatten you right up."  
"What was that the Hat was saying about you having the wand of Adriana Petrival?" Hermione asked, and Anna withdrew the ivory colored wand from her robe pocket. "I found it in Ollivander's shop. He said something about how only someone pure of heart can wield it."  
"I read all about it in ' _A History of Magic_ '."  
"Here we go." Ron groaned but Hermione, thankfully, ignored him. "Adriana was a very powerful witch. Some say that she was even more powerful than you-know-who."  
This caught the attention of some of the other Gryffindors, and they leaned closer so that they could hear her. "She was also a dark witch, although there's a lot of controversy on that."  
"How can there be?" A girl named Katie Bell asked. "Either you're dark, or you aren't."  
"There's a few people that think she may have been framed for someone else's deeds. Supposedly her last words before Merlin killed her were 'I'm innocent, and you know it.'"  
Silence fell on the table as everyone processed this information. Anna stared down at her wand. Was it true? Was this supposedly dark and terrible witch actually innocent? Talk eventually turned to other things, and Anna put all thoughts of dark witches in the back of her mind.

That night, Anna and Hermione got to know their dormmates, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Anna learned that Parvati had a twin sister, Padma, who had been sorted into Ravenclaw.  
"I bet you're glad you and Harry got sorted into the same house." Parvati said to Anna, and she nodded. "We've always been together. Honestly the only time that we were separated was when Uncle Vernon had Harry move from the cupboard to the spare bedroom."  
Hermione shook her head. "I can't believe how horribly they treated you." Anna shrugged her shoulders. "Aunt Petunia always hated Mum, only natural that she should hate us too."  
"But you're so nice!" Lavender objected. "How could she hate you?"  
"Because I'm a witch. She thinks that I'm a freak."  
The girls got changed into their pajamas, and Anna crawled under her covers. It wasn't long before she fell into a comfortable slumber.


	13. Chapter 13

The sleep that Anna had that night was the most comfortable that she had ever had. While breakfast was definitely not as much of a feast as dinner had been the previous night, Anna was still able to eat her fill. Once everyone was finished they went to their classes. First they had Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs. Transfiguration was an interesting class, and Anna had been right when she thought that Professor McGonagall wasn't a teacher to cross. She was very strict, but Anna could also tell that she cared about her students. But perhaps the most boring class was History of Magic. It certainly didn't help that Professor Binns' voice was so monotonous that Anna had to struggle to not fall asleep. But still, the days passed quickly, and Anna quickly made friends. However, she made sure to steer clear of Pansy.  
A bitter rivalry had developed between the girls. They could frequently be seen in the halls, Pansy ridiculing Anna in one way or another, Anna coming up with a snappy comeback.  
Friday came, and with it, their first Potions class. Anna had heard dozens of stories of the Potions professor, Severus Snape, none of them good. He was the Head of Slytherin House, and as such favored its students, being quick to give them points and being just as quick to take points away from the other houses. Potions lessons took place in the dungeons, and Anna shivered a little as she wrapped her robes tighter around herself.  
Snape started by taking roll call, and he stopped when he got to Harry's name. "Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new _celebrity_." Draco and his goons sniggered, and Anna sent death stares their way. Snape's voice was so low that she had to almost strain to hear him.  
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making." Though his voice was low, somehow the students heard every word. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- if you aren't as big a group of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."  
Anna raised an eyebrow as she processed this speech. She could already tell that she would hate Snape with a passion. Suddenly Snape whirled to face her. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Potter."  
"But I didn't even do anything!" Anna objected.  
"Another five points for talking back."  
Anna's jaw dropped open, but she didn't say another word. She instead focused on her book, making notes when she had to. Snape seemed to criticize everyone except for Draco, who he obviously favored. Draco sent a smirk Anna's way, and she had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the blonde.  
Snape was in the process of telling everyone how perfectly Draco's slugs had been stewed when clouds of green smoke filled the room. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus Finnegan's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion seeped across the dungeon floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Poor Neville had been drenched in the stuff and was covered in red boils.  
"Potter!" Snape said to Anna. "Take Longbottom to the hospital ward before he causes any more damage."  
Anna nodded and she led Neville out, being careful not to get any of the potion on herself. "I'm sorry I'm so clumsy." Neville groaned and Anna shook her head. "Don't worry about it, it gives me an excuse to get out of Snape's class."  
"Why is he so mean to us?"  
"I don't know. I wish that I did."  
They reached the hospital ward and the matron, Madame Pomfrey, ushered Neville into a bed. "Thank you, Miss Potter, I shall take it from here."  
Anna made her way slowly back to the dungeons and by the time she had gotten back, class had just ended. Harry and Ron came shuffling up to her. "Thank God that's over." Harry mumbled and Anna nodded. "He's an absolute terror." She suddenly started to snicker. "Although I would have never pegged Malfoy as a teacher's pet type." Harry and Ron both laughed, their moods lightened considerably. "I almost forgot." Harry said suddenly. "Hagrid sent me a letter, he wants us to come to his hut for tea."  
"Can I come?" Ron asked, and naturally they told him that of course he could. As soon as classes were over they were off.


	14. Chapter 14

At five to three they left the castle on walks across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a wooden house on the outskirts of the forbidden Forest. Anna peered into the forest as Harry knots on Hagrid's door. "Watch out!" Hagrid yelled as the door opened and a moment later Anna was flat on her back, giggling madly as a ginormous boarhound licked her face.  
"Get off her, Fang!" Hagrid laughed as he grabbed Fang's collar, pulling him off of the girl. "Sorry about that."  
"It's fine." Anna chuckled as she used the sleeve of her robes to wipe the drool off her face.  
"Make yerselves at home," Hagrid said as they walked inside. Hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling, and a copper kettle was over a roaring fire. A large mattress with a patchwork quilt was in the corner of the room. "This is Ron." Harry said to Hagrid, and the giant looked down at the ginger. "Another Weasley, eh? I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."  
Somehow that didn't surprise Anna. Fred and George seemed like the type of people that would do that sort of thing. The trio told Hagrid all about their lessons. When they told him what had happened with Snape, he assured them that they shouldn't worry, that Snape rarely liked any of the students. He abruptly changed the subject by asking Ron about his brother Charlie, who worked with dragons in Romania.  
"Anna." Harry whispered, and he showed her a newspaper clipping he had picked up off of the table. Anna's eyes widened as she read the headline: 'Gringotts break-in latest.'   
July 31st...that was the day they had gone to Gringotts with Hagrid...  
"Hagrid!" Harry exclaimed. "That Gringotts break-in happened on our birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"  
Anna frowned as Hagrid avoided their gazes. She read the story again. 'The vault had in fact been emptied earlier that day.'  
What vault was it? Hagrid had emptied a vault that day. Had that been the vault that the thief had broken into? It would make sense as to why Hagrid was so nervous. On their way back to the castle, they discussed it with Ron. "You think it was that vault?" He asked, and Harry nodded. "Why else would he be so nervous and refuse to talk to us about it unless it had been that vault?"  
Anna bit her lip as she thought. What inside that vault had been valuable enough that someone would risk life and limb to get it? Anna continued to ponder this as they walked into the Great Hall for dinner. "What's on your mind?" Hermione asked as Anna sat down next to her. "Nothing." Anna shook her head. "Just an article in The Daily Prophet about that break-in at Gringotts."  
"I read about that. A good thing that vault was empty. You know, they would have to be a powerful witch or wizard to be able to bypass all of those security measures."  
"I can't imagine that there are many wizards that are powerful enough."  
"There's a few, but it isn't like any wizard would have the ability or knowledge." Anna nodded. Hermione had a point about that. Anna chewed a piece of ham thoughtfully, looking up as Parvati plopped down next to her, looking absolutely frazzled. "What's wrong?"  
"My sister." Parvati answered with a long, drawn out sigh. "She keeps nagging at me about how I need to study more."  
"We could all study more," Hermione said and Parvati stared at her. "It's a wonder that you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw."  
Hermione rolled her eyes as Anna giggled. Anna loved her friends and didn't know what she would do without them.


	15. Chapter 15

Anna was extremely glad that they only had Potions class with the Slytherins... Until she learned that they would also be having Flying class with them. But not even the thought of having another class with Draco and Pansy couldn't still her excitement of learning how to fly. Harry, however, was not as excited. "Typical." He grumbled as they walked with Ron. Anna found herself hanging out more with them than with Hermione these days, she was always so obsessed with her studies, and nagging at Anna about how she needed to study more. Anna loved Hermione, she really did, but there were some days (okay, a lot of days) where Anna had to struggle not to snap at her. Anna knew that she was distancing herself from her best friend, but she figured that it was better than her saying something that she would wind up later regretting. And Harry and Ron repeatedly told her that they didn't mind it when she hung around them. Ron informed her that she wasn't like the other girls she had met, which Anna decided to take as a compliment. As they walked to Flying class, she wondered if Draco was really as good at flying as he claimed to be. But he wasn't the only one. Both Seamus and Ron would tell anyone who would listen of their wild escapades while on broomsticks. Neville groaned about how his grandmother had never let him on a broomstick, and Anna secretly thought that maybe this was for the best. Neville had enough accidents with both feet planted firmly on the ground. The day was perfect for flying. Clear with only a slight breeze. The Slytherins were already there, and about twenty broomsticks laid on the ground. Anna had heard Fred and George repeatedly complain about the school brooms. Long story short, they were shitty. Their teacher for this class was Madame Hooch. Madame Hooch was a short woman with grey hair and eyes that resembled a hawk's. "What are you all waiting for?" She barked. "Everybody stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."  
Anna glanced down at her broomstick. Fred had been right about them being shitty.  
Madame Hooch instructed them to stick their right hand out over their brooms and say the word "up." It took Anna a couple of tries, but she eventually got it. She had to fight to not burst out laughing as Pansy's broom shot up and whacked her in the face. Next they learned how to properly mount their brooms without sliding off, and Anna beamed as Madame Hooch praised her for learning so quickly. What furthered her delight was when Hooch used her as an example and informed Draco that he had been doing it wrong for years. "Now, when I blow my whistle," Hooch said. "You kick off from the ground, hard."  
But poor Neville was so nervous and jumpy that he pushed off before she blew her whistle. Anna gasped as Neville fell of off his broom and landed on the ground, clutching at his wrist, which Madame Hooch deemed to be broken. After warning the students to not touch any of the brooms to the hospital ward. Almost as soon as she had left, Draco started to make fun of Neville. "Shut your mouth, Malfoy!" Anna snapped. Suddenly he darted forwards, and grabbed something from the ground. Anna recognized it as Neville's Rememberall. Harry and Draco started fighting over it when Draco got onto his broom and took off, and Anna groaned as Harry followed suit. The only thing that would come of this was that Harry would be getting into trouble, and he got into enough trouble as it was with Snape, and he didn't need to lose Gryffindor any more points. She turned to Hermione. "Honestly, it's like he can't stay out of trouble."  
"He's a boy, of course he can't stay out of trouble."  
"At least he stood up for Neville." Parvati piped up. "Honestly, I hate those Slytherins more and more with each passing day."  
"Some of them aren't so bad," Anna said. "The worst ones of the lot are Malfoy and Parkinson."  
True to Anna's prediction, McGonagall came storming out, and dragged Harry away once he had landed. "How many point you reckon Harry lost us?" Dean Thomas asked, and Anna shrugged. "Knowing McGonagall, at least ten points, maybe more."  
"But Harry's in her house!" Ron exclaimed, and Hermione turned to look at him. "That doesn't matter. McGonagall has to remain impartial, no matter which students are involved."  
Ron grumbled under his breath before turning away and Anna rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, Mione, he just doesn't like being proved wrong."  
Madame Hooch returned a few minutes later, and the class was dismissed. Anna walked back to the castle with the girls. They were done with classes for the day, and Anna decided that she should get some of her Charms homework done before dinner. Sitting on the couch in the common room she had just been about to unroll her parchment when Fred, George, and Lee came in. "Oi, Potter!" Fred sat down, draping an arm over her. "What do you want Weasley?" Anna retorted.  
"I need a small favor-"  
"If you're asking for me to cover for you with Filch again, the answer is no." The other day they had almost gotten caught by the old man, and would have gotten into trouble had Anna not covered for them. She had later found candy covering her bed. How they had gotten past the charms that kept boys from getting into the girls dorms she would never know.  
"Of course not!" Fred said in an offended tone. "We need you to cover for us with Snape."  
Anna raised an eyebrow. "What the hell did you do to Snape?"  
George started to laugh. "We may have managed to dye his hair bright pink."  
Anna couldn't help it. She started laughing too. "How did you manage that?"  
"A magician never reveals his secrets." Fred answered. "So will you cover for us?"  
"Only because I would love to see Snape with pink hair." Anna had agreed just in time. A moment later McGonagall came in through the portrait hole, followed closely by Snape. Anna had to struggle not to start laughing again. "What happened Professor? Did a potion go wrong?"  
Snape merely stared at her as McGonagall looked at the twins and Lee. "Where were you three about twenty minutes ago? Professor Snape seems to think that you are responsible for his change in hair color."  
"Professor that's impossible, they've been with me." Anna interjected. "Although I do believe that I saw Crabbe and Goyle lurking around the Potions room earlier."  
"Thank you Miss Potter." McGonagall said. "Come, Professor Snape." She turned on her heel and left. As soon as the portrait had closed, Anna started laughing again. "You three are so lucky that I was in a good mood."  
"You're a life saver." Lee announced, dramatically kissing her cheeks, and Anna gagged as she pushed him away. "Don't mention it. Now if you don't mind I would like to try and get my homework done."  
"You'll find another bucketload of candy on your bed." Fred promised before the three left. Anna smiled as she shook her head. Honestly, what would she do with those boys?


	16. Chapter 16

Early the next morning, Anna awoke to Hermione shaking her.   
"Mione, it's too early," Anna groaned and attempted to pull her blankets over her head, whining when Hermione yanked them back. "Do you know what your brother did?" Hermione hissed.  
"No, but I have a feeling that you're not going to let me go back to sleep until you tell me." Anna sat up, resigned to the fact that she wouldn't be getting any peace and quiet until Hermione had finished complaining about Harry. Apparently Draco had challenged Harry to a midnight wizard's duel, and Harry had accepted. "Of course he did." Anna muttered. "I swear, sometimes it's like he has no brains."   
Hermione went on to say that Draco had never showed up to the duel, and that they had almost gotten caught by Filch. Anna wondered why Hermione had been with Harry and Ron; she never hung out with those two.  
"Wait, so you guys accidentally found yourselves in the forbidden corridor?" Anna asked incredulously, and Hermione nodded. "Yes, and there was this ginormous dog. Why Dumbledore lets them keep it in the castle, I have no idea. The only thing that I could possibly think of is that it must be guarding something."  
A thought struck Anna. "That day Hagrid took Harry and I to Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of a vault, said that it was for Dumbledore. Maybe that's what the dog had been guarding."  
"Do you know what it was that he took out of the vault?"  
"No, it was wrapped in brown paper and Hagrid wouldn't show us what it was." The gears in Anna's head had started to turn, and thoughts of sleep were now pushed far from Anna's mind. What could be so important to Dumbledore that he would keep a large, vicious dog inside the castle? Anna didn't know but she definitely intended to find out.

Later on that morning Anna ran into Draco and his goons. Draco sneered at her. "Your brother certainly thinks he's something, doesn't he, Potter?"  
Anna rolled her eyes as Crabbe and Goyle snickered. "At least he's not a pompous ass like you." Draco glared at her. "I'd watch your mouth if I were you."   
Anna scoffed in annoyance. "What are you gonna do, Malfoy? Run and cry to Daddy?" Draco whipped his wand. "Listen here, you little-"  
"You should watch it, Malfoy." Cedric came striding up to them, glaring slightly at the blonde. "You're lucky that I'm not telling one of your prefects, Malfoy. Now I suggest that you run along before I change my mind."  
"This isn't over, Potter." Draco growled before storming off, Crabbe and Goyle on his tail.   
"I had that handled." Anna said, and Cedric chuckled softly. "I could see that, I just figured that you wouldn't want McGonagall, or heaven forbid, Snape, to see you and Malfoy about to get into a wizards duel."  
Anna supposed that he had a fair point. The last thing that she wanted was to spend an entire detention period with Snape. "I suppose that I owe you some thanks then."  
"Don't mention it." Cedric assured her, smiling softly. "Can't have you getting into trouble now, can we?" Anna flushed a bit. "Harry's the troublemaker, not me." Cedric laughed lightly. "That's true, he just can't seem to stay out of it, can he?"   
Anna shook her head as she began to laugh too. "He really can't. Him and Weasley are quite a pair."  
"If Ron's anything like his brothers, I feel bad for their mother."  
"Oh trust me, Fred and George are _way_ worse."  
Cedric started walking down the hall with Anna. "So..." Anna waggled her eyebrows at him. "When were you going to tell me that you're considered the Heartthrob of Hogwarts?" Cedric groaned loudly, and Anna laughed. "I was hoping that you would never find out about it," he admitted. "I just didn't want you thinking that I was some sort of stuck-up snob."  
"I already think that about Draco. You're ten times better than I could ever hope of being."  
"That's true. The whole Malfoy family is snobby, in my opinion."  
Anna nodded. "From the things that I've heard about them, you're probably right." Penelope Clearwater had been all too happy to tell Anna about the Malfoy family. "They were followers of you-know-who." Penelope had said. "After the war, when you-know-who had disappeared, Lucius had claimed they had been under the Imperious Curse, but everyone knows that he's lying. Lucius didn't need any convincing to become a Death Eater."  
Anna tuned back in to Cedric. "I have a feeling that they're a family to be avoided."  
"You'd be wise to do that." Cedric said gravely. "Don't mess with the Malfoys, Anna, I don't want to see you get hurt. Lucius is very powerful, and very dangerous." Anna suddenly felt a pang of fear. Surely Lucius Malfoy wouldn't hurt a child...would he? Cedric seemed to be able to sense her fear, because he wrapped an arm around her. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."  
"My hero." Anna said sarcastically, and he laughed as they stopped in front of the Charms classroom. "Looks like this is where I leave you." Cedric said, and Anna nodded. "Thanks for walking me back."  
"No problem. Let me know if Malfoy gives you any more trouble, alright?" He smiled and gave her a quick hug before walking off.  
"Why are you so red?" Hermione asked Anna as she sat down, and Anna frowned. "I'm not red-" she put a hand to her cheek and sure enough, she could feel the heat radiating off her cheeks.  
"It's because of Cedric," Lavender giggled, and Anna stared at her like she was crazy. "Lavender, what are you talking about?" She asked incredulously. "There's nothing going on between me and Cedric."  
"That's not what everyone's been saying," Lavender. "They're saying that you and Cedric are an item."  
"We are _not_ an item!" Anna had to fight to keep her voice down. "First of all, I'm only eleven years old, I'm not nearly old enough to be in a relationship, nor do I want to be in one."  
"If you say so," Lavender giggled, and Anna rolled her eyes. Of all the ridiculous things for Lavender to say. She was _not_ in love with Cedric; she wasn't in love with anyone. She refused to talk to Lavender about the subject any longer, and instead focused on her Charms work. In love with Cedric Diggory, honestly.


	17. Chapter 17

Anna screamed as she woke up the next morning. She and Harry were laying on the couch in the common room, and they were covered in some sort of pink goo. Anna glared at Fred and George, who were laughing their heads off. "I'm gonna kill you two!"  
"You have to catch us first!" They ran off, and Anna grimaced as she tried to wipe some of the good off of herself. "I better go and try to wash some of this gunk off, Hermione and I are leaving right after breakfast." She went to the girls showers, and it took nearly an hour and a half of heavy scrubbing before she managed to get all of the goop, and her skin was left a bright red as a result.   
Hermione gazed at Anna as she joined the others in the Great Hall. "What on Earth happened to you?"   
Anna explained about the incident with the twins, and Hermione shook her head. "If those boys spent half as much time studying as they did planning those ridiculous pranks they would be getting nearly perfect marks."  
Anna laughed as she spread some jam on her toast. "We both know that'll never happen." Hermione shook her head again as she took a bite of scrambled eggs.

Right after breakfast, the girls got ready to go. The entire train ride Hermione chatted about how much Anna would like her parents, and Anna nodded somewhat absentmindedly, her thoughts going back to the dream she had had the previous night. What she really wanted to know was: was Adriana really guilty of everything that Merlin had condemned her of, or had she merely been someone's scapegoat?  
"Anna?" Hermione's voice made Anna snap back to reality. "Sorry, guess I spaced out."   
"Are you alright?" Hermione looked slightly worried.  
"Yeah, I was just thinking, that's all. I'm fine, seriously."  
Hermione looked like she wanted to question her further, but decided against it.  
When they got off of the train, Anna waved to a smiling couple. "Mum, Dad!"  
Anna realized this must be Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Mr. Granger had brown hair and warm, almond colored eyes, and Hermione's mother had brown hair and eyes the color of emeralds.   
"You must be Anna." Mrs. Granger said as she gave Anna a small hug. "Hermione's told us so much about you." Anna blushed darkly. "She has?"   
"She's told us that you're one of her only friends."  
"Mum." Hermione said, blushing as well. "Shouldn't we start heading home?"

The Grangers didn't live very far from King's Cross, maybe about thirty minutes or so. Mr. Granger pointed out where they worked on the way home. "That's our dentistry office."  
"Oh yeah, Mione told me that you were dentists." Anna answered and Mr. Granger nodded. "It can get quite mundane but it pays well.  
Their house was about the same size as the Dursley's, but it had a much more homey feeling about it. "Come on." Hermione said. "My bedroom's this way." She led Anna upstairs. They would both be sleeping in Hermione's bedroom, there was an air mattress set up for Anna, and there was also an empty drawer in Hermione's dresser where Anna could store her things.  
"I know it isn't much-" Hermione started to say, but Anna shook her head. "It's wonderful." It wasn't a cupboard under the stairs, so in Anna's eyes it was perfect. "It's much better than what I have with the Dursleys."   
Hermione blushed lightly. "Yeah?"   
"Absolutely. I'm not sleeping in a cupboard so it's definitely a step up for me."  
"I still can't believe that your aunt and uncle are so cruel to you and Harry."  
Anna sighed. "I know. It's just the way that its always been."  
"Still. No one should have to go through that."  
"Except maybe Malfoy." Anna teased, causing Hermione to laugh lightly. "Who knows, it might knock his ego down a peg or two."  
"Could you imagine how horrified Draco would be if he had to spend the summer with a Muggle family?"   
"He would probably die of shock."   
"Wait until my father hears about this!" Anna said, imitating Draco's voice, which causes both of the girls to squeal with laughter.   
"Girls!" Mrs. Granger called up the stairs. "Wash up, dinner's almost ready!"

Dinner turned out to be lasagna, fresh salad with Ranch dressing, breadsticks, and a fruit cocktail for dessert.  
"We rarely eat sweets." Mrs. Granger explained as she poured Anna a glass of milk. "Bad for your teeth, you know."   
As they ate, Mr. Granger explained that they would be spending the next day in London. "Hermione told us that you don't get out much, so I thought it might be fun if we explored the city."  
"That would be wonderful." Anna said as she bit into a breadstick. "I do hope that I'm not being too much of an inconvenience."  
"Not at all." He assured her. "We're glad to have you. With Hermione being an only child, it can get to be quite lonely for her."  
"Well I'm happy to be here. Hermione's one of my closest friends."  
After dinner, Anna helped to clean up, even though Mrs. Granger insisted that she didn't have to.   
"Please let me help." Anna said as she began to unload the dishwasher. "I'll feel like a slacker otherwise."   
Eventually Mrs. Granger relented when she learned that Hermione wouldn't take no for an answer.   
"No wonder you're in Gryffindor." Hermione teased Anna when they were back up in her bedroom. "You're one of the most stubborn people that I've ever met."  
"Harry and I are both like that, we must get it from our parents."  
"Do you remember them at all?" Hermione asked, and Anna sighed sadly. "I wish that I did, but I don't. Neither of us do."   
Hermione then tactfully changed the subject. "So what's the deal between you and Lucy?"   
"Damned if I know. I think she's just jealous that Cedric is spending time with me."  
"You and Cedric are friends. She can't expect you to _not_ hang out together."  
"Well apparently she does, because she and Cedric fight about it constantly. He really does love her, she shouldn't have to feel jealous or threatened by me."  
"That's just how girls work." Hermione consoled her. "I mean, look at Lavender."  
Anna groaned. "Oh god." Lavender seemed to grow more obsessed with Ron with each day that passed. It was quite disgusting to have to listen to each and every night. Ron, of course, oblivious as the poor thing was, had no idea that Lavender had this obsession. "Lavender's eleven for crying out loud." Anna said in exasperation. "She shouldn't be worrying about boys yet."  
"Tell me about it. And Ronald doesn't realize a single thing."  
"Boys are always so clueless about this sort of thing, though."   
"And they think that _they're_ the smart ones." Hermione rolled her eyes, causing Anna to laugh. "They think that they know everything." Anna said. "And yet they always seem so shocked when we prove them wrong."  
The talk continued like this late into the night, and it was nearly one in the morning before they started to get ready for bed. Anna pulled on her pajamas before padding into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She looked in the mirror and frowned. On her collarbone was a small mark. Anna couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it appeared to be in the shape of a crucifix. It was probably just a smudge of dirt or something. Wetting down a washcloth, Anna scrubbed at it until it felt like her skin was raw, but the mark refused to come off. "Odd.." She muttered to herself as she made her way back to the bedroom. "Hey Mione, come and take a look at this." She showed Hermione the mark, causing her to frown as well. "And it won't wash off?"   
"No, and it most definitely wasn't there this morning when I showered all of that pink goop off."   
"Hmm..." Hermione's brows furrowed in concentration. "I think that I read about this, but I just can't remember where. Tomorrow when we get home I'll look through my books."  
Anna nodded and she laid down on the air mattress, occasionally rubbing at the mark. Was this another thing to do with Adriana Petrival? If so, how was it connected to her? And why had Anna been chosen, out of all people? With these thoughts coursing through her brain, Anna fell into a restless, dreamless sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Before Anna knew it, September and October had flown by, and Halloween had approached. Anna's favorite class by far had been Transfiguration. DADA was good too, but Anna still couldn't shake the feeling she got whenever she was around Professor Quirrel. There was something off about him, but Anna just didn't know what it was. Anna had been looking for Hermione all day, but she couldn't find her anywhere. When she talked to Harry and Ron about it, however, she noticed how Ron fidgeted in a nervous and guilty manner. "What did you do?" She growled, and Ron gulped nervously. "A-Anna, n-now don't get mad at me, b-but I may have said something about h-how annoying she was and how i-it was no wonder that she didn't have any friends-"  
"YOU WHAT?!" Anna shouted, and Ron yelped as she began smacking his arms and chest. "I didn't know she was right behind me!" He protested as he shielded himself from her attacks.  
"Anna-" Harry tried to protest, but she shut his mouth when his sister sent him a death glare. "Don't make me smack you too! Honestly, how could you two be so bloody stupid?!" She hissed before storming off.   
"Where are you going?" Harry called after her.  
"To find my friend and fix the damage that you two bloody idiots caused!"

After an hour and a half of searching, Anna finally found Hermione in one of the girls bathrooms. "Mione?"  
"Go away!" Hermione sniffled from inside one of the stalls, and Anna sighed. She was glad that she wasnt in Myrtle's bathroom, she didn't think she could deal with two wailing girls. "I heard what Ron said to you. You just have to ignore the bloody prick."   
"But he was right." Hermione came out of one of the stalls, her eyes puffy and her cheeks tear-stained. "Besides you, I don't have any friends."  
"That's not your fault." Anna enveloped the girl in a hug. "People just don't see how great you are."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. You're a great friend, and if they can't see that, then that's their fault. I-" Suddenly the door to the bathroom was ripped off its hinges, and the girls screamed as a troll lumbered into the room. How the hell had a troll gotten into Hogwarts?! Anna quickly pushed Hermione behind her as she whipped out her wand. "Expelliarmus!" She shouted, and the club that the troll had been holding flew out of his hand. The troll yelled in rage and Anna screamed as he grabbed her. He flung her at the wall, and the last thing that Anna saw before blacking out was Harry and Ron running in. Harry shouted Anna's name, and then the world went dark.

Anna groaned as she woke up, and she immediately recognized the hospital wing. Her arm was in a sling, and her head felt like it was on fire.   
"Anna!" Harry cried out as he jumped out of a mahogany chair that had been by her bedside, and Anna winced at how loud he was. "Sorry." He said, immediately lowering his voice. "How you feeling?"   
"Like hell." She slowly sat up. "What happened? I remember the troll barging into the bathroom, but nothing after that."  
Harry explained how they had found her unconcious, and how he and Ron had fought off the troll. Anna laughed when Harry told her how Quirrel had fainting after announcing the troll's presence.   
"Harry," Anna said after they had finished laughing their heads off. "What do you think of Professor Quirrel?" Harry thought for a minute. "He's alright." He said finally. "A bit odd though. Why?" Anna shrugged. "I don't know, I just have an bad feeling about him."  
"You also had a bad feeling about Mr. Howell down the street." Harry pointed out, and Anna groaned in embarrassment. "Oh god, don't remind me."   
Mr. Howell had been one of their neighbors at Privet Drive. Anna had been convinced that he was a serial killer because he was always digging in his backyard at all hours of the night. It had turned out that he just had insomnia and was doing some midnight gardening. "In my defense, I was only seven."  
"Always quick with those excuses, aren't you?" Harry laughed and Anna glared at him. "Don't make me dye your hair green, Potter."  
"You do that and I'll give you a pig's tail, Potter."  
"Please." Anna scoffed. "You're so clumsy that you would probably give yourself a tail in the process." The twins shared a laugh before Madame Pomfrey came and shooed Harry out. "Miss Potter needs rest, and you're preventing her from doing that."

Anna was kept in the hospital wing for three days. Ron and Hermione visited, and Anna was pleased to learn that she was now friends with Ron and her brother. Naturally Hermione gave Anna her homework that she had missed. Cedric visited also, as did the twins and Lee. Parvati and Lavender came, although Anna got the feeling that Lavender only came because it gave her the opportunity of possibly seeing Ron. Needless to say, Anna was only all too glad when Madame Pomfrey announced that she could leave the hospital wing. Cedric had been visiting when Pomfrey had given her the good news, and he told Anna that he would walk her back to her common room, as that was the gentlemanly thing to do. "Cedric..." Anna said as they walked. "Did you know that everyone says that we're dating?" Even though Hagrid had said that people would stop talking about the two of them, the story had been dramatized even further, to the point where they had broken up, gotten back together again, and Cedric was now cheating on Anna with Penelope Clearwater.  
"I'm sorry about that," Cedric said. "I didn't mean for you to get all of this attention when you became friends with me."  
"It's all right." Anna insisted. "I've learned to ignore them for the most part." When she walked inside the common room, Fred and George tackled her in a hug. "We missed you!"   
"You literally just saw me yesterday!" Anna laughed as they helped her up.  
"Yes, well that was a whole twenty four hours ago." George replied. "We have to get our Potter fill." Fred added. "And Harry just isn't cutting it."  
"Aw, were you two missing me?"   
"They're making me feel like chopped liver," Lee called from across the room, causing Anna to laugh again. "You poor thing." She giggled as Lee pouted. "I didn't think that I would be losing them to girls _this_ quickly."  
Anna groaned as she sat on one of the comfortable, red couches. "Don't get me started. It's bad enough that people think that I'm with Cedric. It's like I can't be friends with a guy without people automatically assuming that I'm dating him."  
"It doesn't help your case when you hang out with him every day." Fred pointed out and Anna stared at him in exasperation. "I hang out with you guys every day and no one ever says anything!"   
"It's because people think that George and I won't ever settle down."  
Anna shook her head. "I just want to be able to have a normal childhood, what's left of it anyways."  
"We're wizards, we've never exactly _been_ normal."  
"You know what I mean." Anna then stood, declaring that she was going to bed. She walked upstairs and collapsed on her bed, falling asleep before her head even touched her pillow.


	19. Chapter 19

November came, and with it, the cold weather that announced winter was quickly approaching. Winter was Anna's least favorite time of the year. "I swear, one of these days I'm just going to pack up and move to Hawaii." She grumbled to Hermione one chilly Saturday morning. This Saturday happened to be the first Quidditch match of the season, and consequently, Harry's first game. It was Gryffindor against Slytherin, and Anna hoped they pummeled them. Harry, needless to say, was very nervous. Anna tried to calm him down at breakfast. Harry being the Gryffindor Seeker was supposed to have been kept a secret, so naturally everyone knew about it. "You'll do fine Harry."  
"But what if I don't? What if I screw up? Or make the team lose?"  
"Harry, worrying about the what-ifs won't help you. If anything, _that's_ what's going to cause you to screw up."  
Harry nodded as he took a deep breath. "Are you coming to watch the game?"  
"Of course I am." Anna answered with a grin. "I wouldn't miss my little brother's first Quidditch match."  
"I'm only seven minutes younger than you!"   
"Still makes you younger." Anna replied in a sing-song tone. "I gotta have something to hold over you. I can't use height." Harry was three or four inches taller than she was, something he was quick to use over her, so Anna had been ecstatic when Hagrid had told them that Anna had been born seven minutes earlier than Harry.  
"Harry." Oliver Wood, the Captain of the Quidditch team, came over and whispered something in Harry's ear. "I've gotta go." Harry said to Anna, who nodded. "See you later, Harry. Good luck at the game."

After breakfast Anna went back to her dorm to go and get ready. She shrugged on her cloak, and wrapped her red and gold scarf around her neck. "I really hope that Gryffindor wins," she said to Parvati. "Just so that I can rub it in Malfoy's face." Malfoy hadn't bothered her since the incident with Cedric, but he wouldn't stay away forever. Anna walked down to the Quidditch pitch with Hermione and Ron. Anna grinned as Hagrid made his way through the crowd over to them and had a seat beside them. "How are you Hagrid?" Anna asked.  
"Good, how's Harry feelin'? I imagine he mus' be nervous."  
"He was, but I think that he'll do alright."   
The game began, and Anna found herself cheering along with everyone else. Suddenly she screamed as Marcus Flint rammed into Harry, almost knocking Harry off of his broom. "That son of a -" Hagrid clamped his hand over her mouth. "None of that now. Look, he's righted himself now." But Harry continued to have problems. Anna frowned as his broomstick continued to buck. It was as if Harry had lost control of his broom. Anna looked around, and her gaze landed on Professor Snape, who was muttering under his breath. She knew he didn't like Harry, but did he hate him enough that he would jinx his broom? Anna nudged Hermione. "Look." She mumbled as she discreetly pointed to Snape.  
"You don't think that he's messing with Harry's broom?" Hermione gasped. "Although...I suppose that's the most likely reason. I can't see any other reason why his broom would be bucking like that."  
Anna gasped as Harry's broom started rolling over and over. "We have to do something, before he falls off of his broom!"   
"Leave that to me." Anna watched as Hermione crept over to Snape before she turned her eyes back to Harry. He was speeding towards the ground, and he looked like he might be sick. He hit the field, got on all fours, and coughed up something tiny and yellow. Anna's eyes widened as she realized that it was the Golden Snitch. Everyone started telling and all the Gryffindors flooded out onto the pitch. They had done it, they had won the game.   
"I told you that you could do it Harry!" Anna had to shout to make herself heard. Ron and Hermione stared herding Harry off towards Hagrid's hut for a cup of hot tea and Anna had been about to follow when she heard Flint talking about Harry. "Complete rubbish. He shouldn't be allowed to catch it in his mouth. They're just allowing it because he's Harry freaking Potter."  
"I'll catch up with you guys later," Anna muttered to Hermione, who looked worried. "Don't do anything that will get you into trouble Anna."  
"Don't worry about me, I'll meet you guys at Hagrid's." Anna stormed over to Flint. "You're just jealous because Harry's more talented than you!" Flint rolled his eyes. "Please. Why would I be jealous of your puny brother?"   
"Oh, _I_ know why."   
Anna internally groaned as Draco came sauntering up. "Flint must be jealous of the fact that you and Harry have no family that actually cares about you." That struck a nerve. Anna's hands curled into fists. "Shut up Malfoy!"   
"Aw, is the little girl gonna cry?" Draco sneered. "Even if your parents were still alive they probably would have dumped you. Who would want someone as pathetic as you?"   
"I said shut up!" Anna launched herself at Draco, punching and hitting wherever she could reach. "Anna!" Fred and George pulled her off of the blonde, who was now clutching a bloody nose. "You're going to pay for that, Potter!" Flint snarled as he helped Draco up.   
"Let's get you out of here." Fred muttered to Anna, who struggled against them for a moment. "Come on, George urged. "You don't want to be around here when they fetch Snape."   
Eventually she let them tug her away. Anna struggled to keep the tears at bay, but when they reached the common room, she finally let them fall. The twins immediately wrapped her into a hug. "Don't listen to what Draco or any of them say." Fred murmured. "They're jealous."  
"What could they possibly be jealous of?" Anna sniffled as she wiped away her tears. "I'm nothing special."  
"Oh come on." George scoffed. "Don't lie to yourself. There's lots of things that are special about you. For one thing you're a whiz at Transfiguration." It was true. Anna seemed to have a knack for it. McGonagall was even considering having her take the same lessons as the second years. Anna gave them a small smile. "What would I do without you guys?"   
"Die a slow and agonizingly painful death." Fred piped up, and Anna laughed. "Have you always had such big egos?"   
"If you ask our mum she'll tell you that we were born with them."  
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Anna giggled. They always knew just the right thing to say to make her feel better. She felt so lucky to have them in her life, and she would do whatever it took to make sure that they stayed in it.


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning Ron was telling Anna about their visit with Hagrid. They had questioned him about the mystery package and he had revealed a name: Nicolas Flamel. Anna had no clue who Nicolas Flamel was, but they were all determined to find out.

Just like George had said, Draco had snitched on Anna to Snape, who had given her three Saturdays worth of detentions.  
"You shouldn't have attacked Draco like that." Hermione scolded her after her first detention of cleaning potion vials and scrubbing out cauldrons. "You don't know what he was saying Hermione!" Anna said as they walked out of the library where they had been studying. True to her word, McGonagall had placed Anna in the same Transfiguration class as the second years. "The things that he was saying about my parents-"  
"That doesn't matter!" Hermione stopped walking to look at Anna. "You can't let your anger cloud your judgement-"  
"Don't let my anger cloud my judgement?" Anna was thoroughly pissed off now. "Well, I'd like to see how you would react if Malfoy told you that your parents had never cared about you."  
"Anna-"  
But Anna had walked off, leaving a guilt-ridden Hermione behind.

This had been the girls first fight. For a solid week Anna refused to talk to Hermione, forcing Harry and Ron to take sides in the matter. Harry agreed with Hermione, saying that Anna could have handled things a bit more rationally. Ron, on the other hand, agreed whole-heartedly with Anna, saying that Malfoy deserved worse than a few punches.  
"You'll have to talk to her again sometime." Cedric said to Anna. Ever since their fight, Cedric had become Anna's new study buddy. The rumours about them had finally started to decrease, although that may have been because he was now openly dating a third year Ravenclaw named Lucy Quinn. Only problem was, Lucy seemed to hate Anna for some reason, and Anna couldn't figure out why. But she had bigger things to worry about. "Or I could just continue to ignore her like ice been doing for the past week." Anna answered as she studied about the Mermaid Wars.   
"Anna, she's your best friend, don't throw your friendship away just because of an argument."  
Anna groaned quietly so as not to invoke the wrath of the librarian, Madame Pince. "Damn you and your words of wisdom, Diggory. Are you sure that you're not secretly a Ravenclaw?"  
Cedric chuckled softly. "You never know. So are you gonna talk to her?"   
Anna nodded as she gathered her things and placed them in her bag. "Yeah, I think that I owe her an apology for how I've been acting."

Anna found Hermione in the common room. Before she could get a word out, however, Hermione launched herself at Anna, hugging her tightly and sobbing into her shoulder. Anna patted her back awkwardly as the other Gryffindors shuffled uncomfortably in their seats. "I'm sorry!" Hermione wailed. "I didn't mean to get you mad!"  
"I know..." Anna murmured. "I'm sorry too, I overreacted. Can you forgive me?"  
"Of course." Hermione smiled at her. "I'm just glad that we're friends again." Anna nodded, feeling like a great weight had been taken off of her shoulders. "Much as I like hanging out with Cedric, he can get to be pretty annoying."  
Hermione giggled softly. "I can see that. I'm surprised that Lucy lets you two hang out as much as you do."  
"Don't get me started on that girl." Anna groaned. "I have no idea why she hates me so much."  
"Maybe she feels threatened by your friendship with Cedric."  
"But Cedric is like an older brother to me! I've made that abundantly clear to her multiple times!"  
"That won't stop her from being jealous. Be careful with her Anna."  
Anna sighed softly. Why did it feel like everyone was out to get her? If it wasn't Pansy or Draco, it was someone else with some sort of vendetta against her. Not all of the Slytherins were bad though. Anna had talked multiple times with Blaise Zabini. He was cocky and arrogant for sure, but nowhere near as bad as Draco. Anna considered Blaise to be a friend, much to the dismay of Ron, who insisted that no Slytherin was to be trusted. "You can't trust any of them, Anna, no matter how charming they seem to be."  
Anna had rolled her eyes at this. Ron was starting to feel more and more like an older brother. It was sweet, but definitely got on her nerves at times. She hoped that he realized that she was at least somewhat capable of handling herself. She wasn't completely defenseless. And one day in the middle of November she proved that to everyone.

Classes had gone splendidly, she had even done well in Potions that day, a rare occurrence for her. Then Marcus Flint had, of course, decided that he had to try and make the rest of Anna's day miserable. Marcus had had it out for her ever since the day she had slugged Draco out on the Quidditch pitch. "If it isn't the itsy-bitsy Potter."  
"Go away Marcus." Anna was with Neville, they had just come out of one of the Herbology greenhouses. Neville had forgotten one of his books and Anna, not wanting anyone to give him any trouble, had decided that she would accompany him.  
"What're you gonna do about it?" Marcus sneered. "You won't do anything, not unless you want detention with Snape again."  
"Anna..." Neville tugged on her sleeve. "Let's just get out of here."   
"Aw, is the little one scared?" Marcus laughed. "Can't wait to see what you'll do after we're done with Weaselbee."  
Anna whirled to face Marcus. "If you touch one hair on Ron's head-"  
"Oh, it's not Ron that I'm talking about. Surely you know that twins don't _always_ travel in pairs. It would be a shame if something happened to Freddie boy-" _Whack!_ Anna had backhanded him so hard that his cheek was a bright red. "Don't you _dare_ threaten my friends." Anna growled at him. "Do it again and I'll hex you into next year. Come on, Neville." She stalked away, Neville taking off after her. She had to make sure that Fred was all right.

Anna had found Fred just in the nick of time. He and George had been seperated; they had pulled a prank on Filch and had been forced to split up. He was now cornered by three or four Slytherins, who had obviously been waiting for this opportunity. Maybe Ron had had a point about them. " _Incarcerous_ _!_ " Anna pointed her wand, binding one of them in ropes. The other three turned to face her. " _Stupefy_!" One of them yelled, and Anna rolled out of the way of the incoming spell.  
" _Rictusempra_ _!_ " Fred shouted, and another of his attackers doubled over with laughter. The remaining two then ran off. Neville, who had been watching the entire duel with wide eyes, gaped at his fellow Gryffindors. Anna checked Fred over for injuries. "I'm fine." He insisted. "Don't worry Anna, I'm not hurt. You, however, could use a bandage or two." He gestured to her knee, which was scraped. It must have happened when she had ducked out of the way of the Stupefy spell. Fred helped Anna to the hospital wing, where Pomfrey had patched her up after lecturing her about always getting herself hurt. After she was released she walked back to Gryffindor Tower with Fred, where they witnessed Neville telling everyone about the duel.  
"It was far less dramatic than you made it out to be, Nev." Anna said with a laugh.  
"But you did get into a fight?" Hermione asked with narrowed eyes, and Anna sighed. "It was either that or let them beat Fred to a pulp."  
"You saved my brother!" George cried dramatically. "Please accept a kiss as a token of my gratitude!"  
"George, I would rather kiss Fang before I kiss you." Everyone laughed as George pretended to pout. "I'm not _that_ undesirable!"   
"Are too!" Angelina piped up, causing them all to laugh again. Anna smiled as she looked out at all the people that were currently gathered around her. They had all felt like friends before, but right now, in this moment, it was the first time that Anna had realized that they were something more. They were family.


	21. Chapter 21

November quickly came and went, and December was now upon them. Everyone was talking about Christmas, and about all of the things that they would be doing this upcoming holiday. Harry and Anna, naturally, would be staying at the castle for Christmas; you could offer Anna a million dollars and she still wouldn't go back to the Dursley's. It was bad enough that they would have to spend the entire summer with them. All of the Weasleys were staying at Hogwarts as well because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would be visiting their son Charlie in Romania. Anna didn't mind it, though. If she could, she would stay at Hogwarts year round. Hermione, however, had different plans for Anna.  
"You should come home with me for Christmas, Anna."   
"I don't know..." Anna didn't want to impose on Hermione's parents, who, from what Anna had been told, seemed like darling people. "I already owled them and they said that it was alright. Oh please, Anna."   
"Go on." Harry urged her. "Go with her." Anna looked at him. This would be the first time that the twins would be seperated for more than a few hours.   
"Harry-"  
"I'll be fine." He insisted. "I'll have Ron here to keep me company. You go and have fun with Mione."  
Anna sighed. "Fine."  
"So you'll come then?" Hermione asked excitedly, and Anna laughed. "Seeing as how I'm outnumbered by both my best friend _and_ my brother, I don't really have any choice, do I?"  
Hermione squealed and she hugged Anna before rushing off to write to her parents and tell them the good news. Anna chuckled and she shook her head before making her way to the library to study for an upcoming Astrology test. She found Lucy Quinn in there, which caused her to internally groan. Lucy and Cedric had been fighting recently, because Lucy didn't want him spending time with Anna anymore. Lucy sent Anna a dirty look, which made the Potter girl roll her eyes before she walked down one of the aisles of books. Blaise was there as well, and he chuckled softly. "Quinn really hates you, doesn't she?"   
Anna scoffed. "It's not my fault that she lacks self-confidence and is jealous of every girl that even _looks_ at Cedric."  
"She's always been like that." Blaise responded. A couple Slytherins stopped when they saw the two talking, but when Anna looked at them, they scurried away. "The whole house has heard about how you and Fred creamed those Slytherins that attacked you two." Blaise said, and Anna smirked softly. "Bet that Flint and his friends will think twice before they mess with us again."   
"About that..." I swear that I had no idea they were planning something like that."  
"Blaise, it's alright, there's no harm done." Anna stood on tiptoe to grab a book off of one of the higher shelves. "I'll catch up with you later."  
"See you, Potter."

"What were you doing with Zabini in the library?" Ron demanded of Anna later that day, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "Were you spying on me?"   
"Of course not." Ron said, his face flushing. "Seamus said that he saw you two."  
"What, can't I talk to my friends anymore?"   
"Not when your friend is a Slytherin."  
"What does _that_ have to do with it?!"   
"Everything, especially when people are now saying that you staged that attack on Fred!"   
"They're saying I _what_?!" Anna was flabbergasted. "Ron, you can't honestly believe that!"   
"Relax, I don't. But a lot of other people do. You wanna take a guess as to who started that rumour?"  
"Malfoy..." Anna growled, and Ron nodded. "Bingo. The whole thing spread like wildfire."   
Now that Anna thought about it, it did seem like a lot of people had been avoiding her recently, some going out of their way to not talk to her. She didn't mind it with some people, like Lavender, who had suddenly become boy obsessed, but with others, like Padma, or Angelina, it....well, it hurt. "How can they believe that I would do something like that?" Anna's eyes widened as a horrific though occured to her. "Fred, he doesn't-"   
"He doesn't believe a word of it." Ron said quickly, and Anna nodded, sighing in relief.  
"Look, try not to worry about it." Ron continued. "They'll likely forget about it soon."  
Somehow, Anna didn't think that would turn out to be the case.

Anna had been right. As the days passed and Christmas drew even nearer, Anna seemed to get dirty looks everywhere she went. It had gotten to the point where, if she didn't have classes and it wasn't mealtime, she would hide out in her dorm. Thankfully Hermione and Parvati believed that she was innocent, otherwise it might have made for some very awkward nights.   
"You can't hide out here forever." Hermione said.   
"Watch me." Anna was sitting cross-legged on her bed, working on her DADA homework. "It's better than being out there where it feels like everybody wants to kill me."  
"Maybe they'll forget about it by the time that Christmas holidays are over."  
Anna shrugged. "Maybe." She wouldn't be holding her breath though.  
"Speaking of, are you all packed?" Hermione asked. "We leave tomorrow."  
"Yeah, I've got everything that I need." Hopefully Hermione was right. Maybe by the time that they returned, everything would be back to normal.

_Anna was in the middle of a clearing. The sky was cloudy and grey, and a few raindrops were beginning to fall. Standing in front of Anna was a wizened old woman. Although her hair was grey and her skin wrinkled, she still had a certain liveliness about her. She was dressed in medieval garb, and somehow Anna knew that this was Adriana Petrival. Adriana smiled at Anna. Anna was very puzzled. Adriana seemed so kind... Had she really been so terrible? Somehow Anna just couldn't see her as being a dark witch. "Adriana?"_   
_"Yes, that's me." Adriana's smile was kind and warm. "And you are Annaliese Potter, the new keeper of my wand."_   
_"Yes, but how did you-"_   
_"There are many types of magic in this world." Adriana said. "Some much older than others. Use my wand well, Annaliese, for you shall need it in the days and years to come. Keep your friends close, and cherish the time that you have with them, for the day will eventually come when you lose someone close to you."_   
_"What do you mean?" Anna asked, but Adriana had disappeared._

Anna awoke with a gasp, her eyes darting around the room. What a weird dream...had it been just a dream? Or had it been a vision? A vision of what though? Whatever it was, Anna feared that it bode ill for her future. And who was the person that Adriana had said that Anna would lose? Anna glanced at the clock that was perched on her nightstand. One fifteen in the morning. She needed to calm down before she could even think of going back to sleep. Quietly, so as not to wake the sleeping girls around her, she put on her robe and tiptoed downstairs to the common room, and she sat in front of the roaring fireplace. She sensed someone sit down next to her, and she looked at her brother. "Hey..."  
"Hey." Harry responded. "It's pretty late for you to be up."   
"Look who's talking."  
He chuckled softly before biting his lip. "How are you? With everything that's been going on?"   
Anna shrugged. "I'm alright."   
Harry gave her a look. "Anna, I'm your twin brother. You do realize that you can't lie to me, right?"  
Anna took a deep, shuddering breath. "Everyone hates me."  
"Oh come on, that's not true."  
"You don't understand, you don't see how they look at me." Anna sniffled as tears pooled in her eyes. Harry sighed as he wrapped her in a tight hug, letting Anna cry into his shoulder. "I'm going to kill Malfoy." He muttered as he rubbed her back. This caused her to laugh a little bit. "I'm sure that Fred and George will help you bury the body."  
"Probably." Harry chuckled quietly as he wiped her tears away with his thumb. "It'll be alright."  
"You all keep telling me that, but it doesn't feel like it'll be alright."  
"Soon enough, everyone will realize that they've been wrong." Harry said. "Besides, the people that matter believe in you. Me, Hermione, the Weasleys, Cedric."  
Anna nodded. He was right. Her friends, her _true_ friends, they knew the truth, and really, that was all that should matter to her. "Thank you Harry."  
"What are brothers for? Even if they're seven minutes younger."  
Anna laughed lightly. "Seven and a half." She teased, making Harry roll his eyes. "Always the minute details with you."  
"Maybe I should have been a Ravenclaw."   
"I mean, the Hat _did_ almost sort me into Slytherin."  
Anna shuddered at the thought. "I couldn't imagine being in the same house as Draco. Not all of the Slytherins are bad, it would be an okay house if it wasn't for Draco and all of his pure blood minded goons." Anna yawned as she snuggled into Harry's chest. "Sleep." He murmured. "I'll stay right here."   
"Promise?"   
"I promise."  
Anna nodded and she let her eyes slowly close, and the twins drifted off to sleep together.


	22. Chapter 22

Anna screamed as she woke up the next morning. She and Harry were laying on the couch in the common room, and they were covered in some sort of pink goo. Anna glared at Fred and George, who were laughing their heads off. "I'm gonna kill you two!"  
"You have to catch us first!" They ran off, and Anna grimaced as she tried to wipe some of the good off of herself. "I better go and try to wash some of this gunk off, Hermione and I are leaving right after breakfast." She went to the girls showers, and it took nearly an hour and a half of heavy scrubbing before she managed to get all of the goop, and her skin was left a bright red as a result.   
Hermione gazed at Anna as she joined the others in the Great Hall. "What on Earth happened to you?"   
Anna explained about the incident with the twins, and Hermione shook her head. "If those boys spent half as much time studying as they did planning those ridiculous pranks they would be getting nearly perfect marks."  
Anna laughed as she spread some jam on her toast. "We both know that'll never happen." Hermione shook her head again as she took a bite of scrambled eggs.

Right after breakfast, the girls got ready to go. The entire train ride Hermione chatted about how much Anna would like her parents, and Anna nodded somewhat absentmindedly, her thoughts going back to the dream she had had the previous night. What she really wanted to know was: was Adriana really guilty of everything that Merlin had condemned her of, or had she merely been someone's scapegoat?  
"Anna?" Hermione's voice made Anna snap back to reality. "Sorry, guess I spaced out."   
"Are you alright?" Hermione looked slightly worried.  
"Yeah, I was just thinking, that's all. I'm fine, seriously."  
Hermione looked like she wanted to question her further, but decided against it.  
When they got off of the train, Anna waved to a smiling couple. "Mum, Dad!"  
Anna realized this must be Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Mr. Granger had brown hair and warm, almond colored eyes, and Hermione's mother had brown hair and eyes the color of emeralds.   
"You must be Anna." Mrs. Granger said as she gave Anna a small hug. "Hermione's told us so much about you." Anna blushed darkly. "She has?"   
"She's told us that you're one of her only friends."  
"Mum." Hermione said, blushing as well. "Shouldn't we start heading home?"

The Grangers didn't live very far from King's Cross, maybe about thirty minutes or so. Mr. Granger pointed out where they worked on the way home. "That's our dentistry office."  
"Oh yeah, Mione told me that you were dentists." Anna answered and Mr. Granger nodded. "It can get quite mundane but it pays well.  
Their house was about the same size as the Dursley's, but it had a much more homey feeling about it. "Come on." Hermione said. "My bedroom's this way." She led Anna upstairs. They would both be sleeping in Hermione's bedroom, there was an air mattress set up for Anna, and there was also an empty drawer in Hermione's dresser where Anna could store her things.  
"I know it isn't much-" Hermione started to say, but Anna shook her head. "It's wonderful." It wasn't a cupboard under the stairs, so in Anna's eyes it was perfect. "It's much better than what I have with the Dursleys."   
Hermione blushed lightly. "Yeah?"   
"Absolutely. I'm not sleeping in a cupboard so it's definitely a step up for me."  
"I still can't believe that your aunt and uncle are so cruel to you and Harry."  
Anna sighed. "I know. It's just the way that its always been."  
"Still. No one should have to go through that."  
"Except maybe Malfoy." Anna teased, causing Hermione to laugh lightly. "Who knows, it might knock his ego down a peg or two."  
"Could you imagine how horrified Draco would be if he had to spend the summer with a Muggle family?"   
"He would probably die of shock."   
"Wait until my father hears about this!" Anna said, imitating Draco's voice, which causes both of the girls to squeal with laughter.   
"Girls!" Mrs. Granger called up the stairs. "Wash up, dinner's almost ready!"

Dinner turned out to be lasagna, fresh salad with Ranch dressing, breadsticks, and a fruit cocktail for dessert.  
"We rarely eat sweets." Mrs. Granger explained as she poured Anna a glass of milk. "Bad for your teeth, you know."   
As they ate, Mr. Granger explained that they would be spending the next day in London. "Hermione told us that you don't get out much, so I thought it might be fun if we explored the city."  
"That would be wonderful." Anna said as she bit into a breadstick. "I do hope that I'm not being too much of an inconvenience."  
"Not at all." He assured her. "We're glad to have you. With Hermione being an only child, it can get to be quite lonely for her."  
"Well I'm happy to be here. Hermione's one of my closest friends."  
After dinner, Anna helped to clean up, even though Mrs. Granger insisted that she didn't have to.   
"Please let me help." Anna said as she began to unload the dishwasher. "I'll feel like a slacker otherwise."   
Eventually Mrs. Granger relented when she learned that Hermione wouldn't take no for an answer.   
"No wonder you're in Gryffindor." Hermione teased Anna when they were back up in her bedroom. "You're one of the most stubborn people that I've ever met."  
"Harry and I are both like that, we must get it from our parents."  
"Do you remember them at all?" Hermione asked, and Anna sighed sadly. "I wish that I did, but I don't. Neither of us do."   
Hermione then tactfully changed the subject. "So what's the deal between you and Lucy?"   
"Damned if I know. I think she's just jealous that Cedric is spending time with me."  
"You and Cedric are friends. She can't expect you to _not_ hang out together."  
"Well apparently she does, because she and Cedric fight about it constantly. He really does love her, she shouldn't have to feel jealous or threatened by me."  
"That's just how girls work." Hermione consoled her. "I mean, look at Lavender."  
Anna groaned. "Oh god." Lavender seemed to grow more obsessed with Ron with each day that passed. It was quite disgusting to have to listen to each and every night. Ron, of course, oblivious as the poor thing was, had no idea that Lavender had this obsession. "Lavender's eleven for crying out loud." Anna said in exasperation. "She shouldn't be worrying about boys yet."  
"Tell me about it. And Ronald doesn't realize a single thing."  
"Boys are always so clueless about this sort of thing, though."   
"And they think that _they're_ the smart ones." Hermione rolled her eyes, causing Anna to laugh. "They think that they know everything." Anna said. "And yet they always seem so shocked when we prove them wrong."  
The talk continued like this late into the night, and it was nearly one in the morning before they started to get ready for bed. Anna pulled on her pajamas before padding into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She looked in the mirror and frowned. On her collarbone was a small mark. Anna couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it appeared to be in the shape of a crucifix. It was probably just a smudge of dirt or something. Wetting down a washcloth, Anna scrubbed at it until it felt like her skin was raw, but the mark refused to come off. "Odd.." She muttered to herself as she made her way back to the bedroom. "Hey Mione, come and take a look at this." She showed Hermione the mark, causing her to frown as well. "And it won't wash off?"   
"No, and it most definitely wasn't there this morning when I showered all of that pink goop off."   
"Hmm..." Hermione's brows furrowed in concentration. "I think that I read about this, but I just can't remember where. Tomorrow when we get home I'll look through my books."  
Anna nodded and she laid down on the air mattress, occasionally rubbing at the mark. Was this another thing to do with Adriana Petrival? If so, how was it connected to her? And why had Anna been chosen, out of all people? With these thoughts coursing through her brain, Anna fell into a restless, dreamless sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

They left around ten the next morning. Anna had the time of her life. They went to the aquarium, where Mr. Granger bought her a stuffed penguin and got Hermione a seal. After they had finished at the aquarium, they went out for lunch. Originally Anna was just going to get a grilled cheese, but Mr. Granger said that this was a special occasion so both of the girls got salmon with steamed broccoli and wild rice. The Grangers even let the girls get soda. "Only this once." Mr. Granger said, pretending to be stern, making the girls giggle. Lunch was delicious, even better than the food that the Hogwarts house elves made. Once lunch was over, they decided to go to a park, because it was unseasonally warm for December. Naturally since the day had been going so well, something had to come along and screw everything up. That something was the Dursleys.  
Anna and Hermione had been running around the park all afternoon, and they were all headed back to the car when they ran into Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley, and Dudley's rat-faced friend Piers Polkiss.   
"Annaliese..." Aunt Petunia said in a stiff voice.  
"Why aren't you at that freak school?" Uncle Vernon smirked. "Get yourself kicked out already?"   
"Actually she's spending Christmas with my family." Hermione said hotly. "And you must be the Aunt and Uncle that abuse her and Harry."  
"Annaliese." Aunt Petunia chuckled nervously. "What lies have you been spreading about us?"   
"Lies?" Anna scoffed. "I'm sorry, all I did was tell the truth about how you kept us locked away and beat me nearly half to death."  
"They what?" Mrs. Granger gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.  
"What else were we supposed to do?!" Uncle Vernon snapped. "It's not as if we can treat her _normally_ , her being the freak that she is."  
"Anna is one of the sweetest girls that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting!" The normally docile Mr. Granger was clearly pissed off now. "And now that I see where she has come from, it's no small miracle that she survived, let alone become the kind and caring girl that she is."   
Uncle Vernon rolled his eyes. "You love her so much, why don't you have her spend the summers with you while you're at it?" The Dursleys and Piers all laughed, but Mr. Granger remained stone-faced. "Maybe I will."  
His answer clearly took Uncle Vernon by surprise, because he stopped laughing and gaped at him. "You what?"   
"I would be more than happy to have Anna spend the summer with us, and every summer and school holiday after that." He wrapped one arm around Mrs. Granger's waist and placed the other on Anna's shoulder. "Love, girls, we should be heading home. Good day, Mr. Dursley."

"What an absolutely horrid man!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed once they were all in the car and headed on their way home. "Anna, I didn't want to believe it, but after the way that your aunt and uncle behaved at the park, I suppose that I'll have to. And they've always treated you like this?" Anna nodded.   
"Ever since I could remember.'  
Mr. Granger was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. "You aren't going back to them, Anna. I'll take it to the courts if I have to." Anna looked at him in surprise. The fact that he was willing to go to such lengths to keep her safe, to make sure that she was protected and loved, it nearly overwhelmed her. Hermione hugged her tightly. "We'll make sure that those awful people never touch you ever again."  
"Thank you..." Anna whispered as her eyes filled with tears. "I really don't deserve any of this."   
"Nonsense." Mr. Granger said as they pulled out of the driveway. "You deserve at least the basics, and it seems like they aren't even giving you that."  
As they began the trek from the driveway into the house, Hedwig came flying up, a letter in her beak. It was from Harry. He asked if Anna was having any fun and told her that both him and Ron missed her. Anna was quick to respond, saying that she was having the time of her life. She also told him about their encounter with the Dursleys, and about Mr. Granger's outburst. She sent Hedwig off and sat on her bed, holding her penguin close to her. The penguin was smooth as velvet, and soft to the touch.   
"Someone's made themselves a new friend." Hermione teased her, and Anna blushed. "Shut up. I didn't hear you saying no to that adorable seal."  
"How could I say no? Seals are my favorite animals besides otters. So what did Harry say in his letter?"   
"He was just checking up on me. I told him what happened today with my aunt and uncle."  
"I wish he could stay here too," Hermione said with a small sigh. "But we just don't have the room."  
"Maybe Ron will offer to let Harry spend the summer with him, or something."  
"It wouldn't surprise me if Ronald asked him that. Oh! I almost forgot." Hermione pulled out her History of Magic textbook.  
"Mione, we're on holiday, we aren't supposed to be studying."   
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I wasn't studying. I was looking through this earlier this morning before we left to see if I could find any mention of the crucifix on your neck. I was right, it _is_ connected to Adriana Petrival."  
This piqued Anna's interest immediately. "Really? What did you find?"   
"It's actually quite interesting. Apparently Adriana had a large group of followers, and all of her followers branded themselves."  
"Let me guess." Anna said. "They branded a crucifix onto their collarbones."   
Hermione nodded. "But here's where it gets a bit odd. For such a supposedly dark witch, her followers weren't dark, none of them. They were bakers, blacksmiths. Many of her followers were also Muggle borns, so obviously Adriana didn't have the same pure-blooded views as you-know-who."  
Anna pondered this for a minute or two. "So this just helps to prove the fact she wasn't the monster that Merlin had made her out to be."  
"Exactly. Which makes me wonder if Merlin was maybe trying to cover something up."  
Anna nodded; that made sense. "As soon as we get back to school, I'm going to go to the library and try to figure this out."  
"I'll help you when I can, but I'm also trying to help the boys figure out who Nicolas Flamel is."  
"How's that going by the way?" Anna asked. "I've been meaning to help, but all of the Transfiguration homework that McGonagall gives me just leaves me worn out at the end of the day."  
"It's going slowly." Hermione sighed. "And Hagrid is no help. I know that he knows who Nicolas Flamel is, but he refuses to tell us anything about it."  
Anna nodded again. Hagrid was great at spilling secrets...unless it was one that they absolutely needed to know about, such as with Nicolas Flamel.  
"How _is_ Transfiguration going?" Hermione seemed slightly jealous of the fact that Anna was in an advanced class and she wasn't. Anna shrugged. "It's alright, I suppose. The course is more difficult, but I enjoy it. I'm surprised that Pansy hasn't taunted me about it, but I guess that she figured I'm being bullied enough with the whole staging an attack on Fred thing."  
Hermione sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, you don't deserve to be ostracized like this."  
"Mione, it's okay, really. The people that truly matter know the truth."   
Hermione nodded. "I suppose. Plus the truth will come out eventually."   
"Exactly." Anna smiled at her. "I just have to be patient, that's all."  
"It seems like you're surrounded by bullies. If it isn't Draco or Pansy, then it's your aunt and uncle."  
"Although if your dad has anything to say in the matter, that'll soon change."  
Hermione started to fiddle with her thumbs. "I hope that everything works out."  
"I'm sure that it will." Anna patted her shoulder. "You just need to have faith. Try not to worry about it." Anna started to laugh. "I should really take my own advice, shouldn't I?"   
"That would be a smart idea." Hermione giggled. "I suppose that we should both have more faith, shouldn't we?"   
"It's something that we can work on together."

Once more both the girls were called down for dinner. Tonight was hamburgers with potatoes and cole slaw. Mr. Granger obviously wanted Anna to forget all about what had happened that afternoon in the park with the Dursleys, because he talked about everything under the sun. Anna was happy to converse with him.  
"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve." He said as he put a small blob of mustard on his burger. "I thought that we might go out to the country and get ourselves a tree to decorate."   
"You mean a live one?" Anna asked. The Dursleys had never gotten a live evergreen tree before, they always used a fake, plastic one that they kept stored in the attic.   
"We'll be leaving bright and early tomorrow so you two better get some rest tonight." Mr. Granger advised. After dinner was done and the dishes were put away, Mrs. Granger shooed the girls up the stairs so that they could get ready for bed. Anna brushed her teeth and got her pajamas on quickly. She was so tired that she didn't even think about Adriana Petrival at all, and she fell asleep the instant that her head touched her pillow.


	24. Chapter 24

True to his word, Mr. Granger woke up Hermione and Anna around six thirty the next morning. After a quick breakfast of toast and sausage, they clambered into the car. Mrs. Granger was staying behind because she would be spending the day visiting with her sister.   
They drove and drove, and the hustle and bustle of the city turned into endless fields, pastures of cows, and large, red barns as far as the eye could see. Anna had never gone out to the country before; Dudley would have complained too much about missing his television programs.  
About twenty minutes later they stopped in front of a business that advertised live Christmas trees. They had row after row of trees, and it was crowded with people, who, like Anna and the Grangers, had waited until the last minute to buy their Christmas trees. They walked up and down the rows, looking for just the perfect tree.   
"What about that one?" Anna asked, and Mr. Granger frowned slightly. "It's sort of scrawny, isn't it?"   
"Well all of the good trees are gone." Hermione replied. "This is probably as good as we're going to get."  
"I suppose you're right dear."   
After purchasing the tree, two employees helped Mr. Granger strap the tree down to the roof of the car. Mrs. Granger had left by the time that they returned, leaving Mr. Granger to fix lunch for them all. Lunch turned out to be bologna sandwiches and left over cole slaw from the night before. After they had eaten the three of them hauled the tree into the house, almost knocking over a vase in the process.  
"Good thing we didn't break that." Mr. Granger sighed in relief. "My wife's mother's. She would have killed me."  
They finished setting up the tree just as Mrs. Granger returned. "Looks like you lot have kept yourselves busy." She commented as she hung up her coat. "At least you managed to not break anything."  
Mr. Granger chuckled nervously. "Love, why don't you and the girls get the ornaments and we'll decorate the tree?"   
After getting the ornaments from the attic, Mrs. Granger set the girls to work making strands of popcorn garland. Although it was probably safe to say that more popcorn wound up in the girls mouths than it did on the garland strand. Hermione's grandparents came over for dinner that evening, and not only did they bring presents for Hermione and her parents, but they brought some for Anna as well.   
"You really didn't have to." Anna said, but Hermione's grandmother shook her head. "Nonsense. We've been told a little of what you've been through; how you lost your parents. You're part of our family now, which means that you're to call me Gran."  
Anna nearly started to tear up, but she managed to hold them back. She felt so thankful.  
"What are you waiting for?" Gran asked. "Go ahead and open them."  
Anna and Hermione sat down, tearing off the wrapping paper. Anna got a book titled _Alice in Wonderland_ , a set of coloring pencils and drawing paper, and a woolen jacket. She decided that she would read the book on the train ride back to Hogwarts.  
That night for dinner, Mrs. Granger made a beef pot roast, mashed potatoes with gravy, glazed carrots, and warm, buttery rolls. For dessert Gran had brought a rich, chocolate cake.   
"It's Christmas Eve, I suppose that we can allow sweets." Mr. Granger joked, and Anna giggled. "We'll make sure to brush our teeth extra well tonight."  
Gran and Grandpa had to leave right after dinner, they had a long drive back home.  
"Now, we have a sort of tradition." Mr. Granger said as they all gathered in the living room. "Every year on Christmas Eve, right before we go to bed, I read the story _Twas the Night Before Christmas_."  
He began to read, and Anna found herself nestling against Mrs. Granger, who wrapped her arm around the sleepy girl. Was this what a real family did? Take outings and read stories on Christmas Eve? Anna didn't want it to end, and she struggled to stay awake, but her eyes began to droop. She felt someone, probably Mr. Granger, pick her up and carry her upstairs to the bedroom. He laid her on her bed, and she snuggled into her blankets as she drifted away.

Anna awoke the next morning to Hermione shaking her. "Mione..." Anna groaned as she pulled the blanket over her head.   
"Get up!" Hermione said. "It's Christmas!" Anna groaned playfully as she allowed Hermione to tug her down the stairs.  
Presents laid all around the tree, and not just from the Grangers either. Anna had gotten a hand knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley. It was a dark purple and had a yellow 'A' in the middle. Fred and George had gotten her stink bombs and a load of candy, presumably from Honeyduke's. From Cedric she had gotten the book _Quidditch Through the Ages_. All in all, it had been a terrific Christmas.

Three days later, they boarded the Hogwarts Express once more. Anna and Hermione were chattering happily as they searched for a carriage to sit in when Lucy Quinn forcefully bumped into Anna. "Watch it, Potter!" Lucy snapped and Anna glared at the older girl. "Watch it yourself, Quinn."   
"I'd lose that tone if I were you." Lucy sneered nastily. "Wouldn't want people to find out that you staged an attack on Granger next."   
Anna gasped softly. "It wasn't Draco that started that rumour, it was _you_."  
Lucy smirked. "Took you long enough. But then, you've never been very bright, have you?"   
"Why?" Anna stared at Lucy in disbelief. "I've never done anything to you!"   
"You're taking Cedric away from me!" Lucy screeched, making people come out of their carriages to watch the fight.  
"Take him away? Oh for crying out loud!" Anna was positively fed up with Lucy's insecurities. "Cedric and I are _friends_! He's like an older brother to me!"   
"Shut up!" Lucy growled. "He's _mine_ , do you hear me?!" In a flash she whipped her wand out. " _Cruci_ o!"   
Anna didn't have time to deflect the spell, and she screamed as pain filled her entire body, and she fell to the floor as Hermione shrieked. Then Cedric was in front of her. " _Stupefy_!" He shouted, and Lucy screamed before going silent. Cedric then knelt in front of Anna. "Come on..." He gently lifted her into his arms, and Anna whimpered in pain. "You and Granger are going to stay in my cabin until we reach the castle."  
Hermione trailed behind Cedric as they made their way through the crowd.   
"Nothing to see here." Cedric said, and the prefects began herding everyone back into their carriages. Cedric carefully sat Anna down in a seat, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "I'm so sorry." He murmured.  
"Not...your fault." Anna grimaced as she spoke. "You couldn't have known that she was a complete psychopath."  
"What I want to know is, how did Lucy know the Cruciatus Curse?" Hermione asked and Cedric shook his head. "Her parents were Death Eaters. I thought that she was different."  
"She well may have been if it wasn't for her insane jealousy." Anna said. She was feeling a little bit better so she slowly sat up. "She thought that she would lose you to me despite being constantly told otherwise. I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you Cedric."  
Cedric shook his head. "If she can't accept my friends than she isn't the one for me." He looked down at Anna. "You should rest, we still have a little bit until we reach Hogwarts and when we do, you're taking a trip down to Madame Pomfrey."  
Anna tried to protest but both Cedric and Hermione cut her off. "She needs to make sure that you're alright."   
"But I feel fine now!" Anna objected, and Hermione scowled at her. "I'm not arguing about this with you."  
Anna rolled her eyes. Honestly. Hermione worried so much. She was fine. Probably.


	25. Chapter 25

Sure enough, as soon as they entered the castle, Cedric and Hermione herded Anna to Madame Pomfrey, who was horrified to learn of what had happened to Anna. "I'll let the headmaster know immediately. I wouldn't be surprised if he sent her home tonight." She stated that she would be keeping Anna overnight for observation. Anna sighed as Hermione and Cedric left. This was just what she wanted. To spend her first night back in the hospital wing. She groaned as she laid her head back against her pillow, bored out of her mind.   
"Psst, Anna!"   
Anna's head whipped around. She could have sworn that she had heard her brother's voice, but she didn't see him anywhere. Maybe she was finally starting to go crazy. Then suddenly he was there, and she had to keep herself from shouting in surprise. "Harry! What are you doing here?" She kept her voice low so as not to alert Madame Pomfrey.  
"Hermione told me what happened, I had to make sure that you were alright."   
"But how did you sneak past Madame Pomfrey?"   
"My invisibility cloak."  
Anna frowned. "Your what?"  
"My invisibility cloak. I got it for Christmas."  
"Who from?"  
"I don't know. It's really cool though."  
Anna wondered who would have given him the cloak. "Just don't be reckless because you're invisible."   
Harry rolled his eyes. "You're starting to sound like Hermione." Anna laughed softly. "I guess that's what happens when we spend a week together."  
"Oh yeah, she wanted me to give this to you." He held out Anna's penguin.  
"I'm surprised that she didn't lecture you on sneaking out to see me," Anna said as she held the penguin, whom she had dubbed Sir Waddlesworth.  
"Oh she did." Harry grinned at her. "But when she realized that I was going to come and see you no matter what she said she figured that she may as well have me bring it."  
"Thanks-" Anna froze as she heard Pomfrey approaching. "You need to leave."  
"See you tomorrow." Harry shrugged on his cloak and ran out as Madame Pomfrey came in with Professor Dumbledore. "Professor." Anna said in surprise, and Dumbledore smiled kindly at her. "Miss Potter. How are you feeling? I heard about the rather unfortunate incident involving Miss Quinn."  
"I'm feeling alright now." Anna said as she slowly sat up. "I'm just lucky that Cedric was there."  
"Indeed. If he hasn't been than we might be having a completely different conversation."  
"Professor..." Anna bit her lip. "What's going to happen to Lucy?"   
Dumbledore sighed. "She will be sent home on the train in the morning and her guardians shall be informed. Also, her wand shall be broken."  
Anna couldn't help but feel sorry for Lucy. She had been so consumed by her jealousy that she hadn't realized that Cedric had loved her, and only her.   
"I believe I shall take my leave and let you rest." Dumbledore smiled when he saw the penguin in Anna's arms. "The things that Muggles come up with to provide us comfort." He left then, and Pomfrey tucked Anna in, wrapping the blankets around her and fluffing up her pillows. Anna closed her eyes and it wasn't long before she fell asleep. 

_Once again Anna found herself in a clearing, facing Adriana Petrival. "You marked me." Anna said. "Why?"_   
_"All those who are loyal to me carry my mark." Adriana replied._   
_"But I haven't claimed loyalty to you, or anyone!"_   
_"You carry my wand; that in itself is loyalty enough."_   
_"I didn't ask for any of this!" Anna cried, and Adriana sighed. "You are the only one who can help me."_   
_"Help you with what?"_   
_"Moving on to the afterlife."_   
_But that didn't make any sense... Adriana was already dead. She seemed to sense Anna's question. "My death was a cursed one. Unless the identity of the person who committed the crime that I was blamed for is brought to light than I shall forever remain in the realm between the living and the dead.'_   
_Anna had so many more questions but Adriana was already starting to fade away._

Anna awoke with a gasp. Sunshine streamed in through the windows of the hospital wing; it must have been at least eight in the morning. "Good, you're up." Pomfrey said. "If you hurry then you can grab a bit of breakfast before classes start."  
After she had been dismissed, Anna scurried off to her dorm to drop off Sir Waddlesworth. When she came back down the stairs, she saw a while group of Gryffindors gathered in the common room.  
"Um..." Anna looked at them somewhat nervously. "What's going on?"   
"They have something that they want to say to you." Fred said, and Angelina looked at Anna apologetically. "We want to apologize for how we've been treating you, we shouldn't have assumed so quickly."  
Anna bit her lip. "It really hurt, how you all just ostracized me so quickly."  
A few Gryffindors looked down shamefully. "We're really sorry." Dean mumbled and Anna sighed. "Just do your research next time."  
Angelina looked surprised. "So you forgive us then?"   
"I'm not the type to hold a grudge. Plus, who knows? If I had been in your shoes then I may have done the same exact thing."  
"While I hate to interrupt the party," Hermione said, "if we don't leave now then we'll be late for classes." 

In between classes and trying to find out more about Adriana Petrival, Anna tried to help Hermione and the boys figure out who Nicolas Flamel was, but it was hard because she couldn't find any mention of him in any library book that she read. Harry was able to help even less than she was because Quidditch had started up again.  
McGonagall had loaded the second years with homework, which meant that Anna was loaded with homework as well. Not to mention that Snape had piled on Potions work, and Anna also had to keep an eye out for Flint, who was now out for blood. It turned out that Lucy was Flint's cousin, and he was beyond pissed that Anna had gotten her expelled. It was because of Flint that she was never alone. She was always either with Hermione and the boys, Cedric, the twins, Blaise, or some Gryffindor. Currently she was studying in the library with Seamus Finnegan. They were studying for their Herbology homework, which was due the following Tuesday. Anna groaned as she rubbed her forehead. She still had another three inches that she needed to write on her parchment. "How is Neville so good in this class?"  
"He seems to have a knack for it." Seamus was struggling as well. "I don't know how he does it."  
The library was about to close so she and Seamus packed their things before Madame Pince could shoo them out. It was almost curfew so they quickened their pace. Anna didn't want to be caught out after curfew by Percy, or heaven forbid, Flint. They made it to the common room without any mishap, and Anna collapsed on the couch. She couldn't keep doing this; couldn't keep jumping at every shadow because she thought that it was Flint about to attack her. She hadn't been sleeping well either, because she kept having nightmares about what had happened on the train. She had never felt such excruciating pain before, not even when the Dursleys had punished her; she wasn't sure how much longer she could go on like this. Hermione had started to get suspicious, but Anna insisted that everything was fine because she didn't want Hermione to worry about her. Exhausted, she laid her head on one of the couch pillows, and fell into a nightmare infested slumber


	26. Chapter 26

TW: violence

"NO!!" Anna awoke with a scream, and it took Harry running down the stairs into the common room and wrapping her in a tight hug, telling her that she was safe and that everything was going to be alright before she could calm down. He stayed with her even after she had calmed down, rubbing small circles on her back. "How long have you been having these nightmares?" He asked quietly.  
"Ever since the train." Anna replied, her voice still a little bit shaky. "It's always the same: Lucy using the Cruciatus curse on me. You don't understand what it was like Harry. It hurt so bad, I've never felt anything like that. The pain was so bad that I thought it would drive me mad."  
"I'm so sorry Anna." Harry whispered. "I should have been there."  
"Harry, you couldn't have done anything." Anna looked up at him. "Even Cedric hadn't been able to stop her until she had already cast the curse."  
"I'm your brother, it's my job to protect you."  
Anna rolled her eyes. "Harry, you can't be with me every second of every day. You have a life apart from me, just like I have a life apart from you."  
"Oh gee thanks." Harry said sarcastically. "You make me feel so special."   
She lightly shoved him. "You know what I mean."  
"I just don't want you getting hurt."  
"Harry, I literally have an army of bodyguards that follows me everywhere I go."   
"That's true." Harry admitted with a laugh. "You do have a small army."  
"An army of people so stubborn that I could take over England if I wanted." Anna said as she laughed as well.  
"Anna Potter, Queen of England." Harry pretended to shudder. "Now that's a terrifying thing to picture."  
"Oh come on, I would make a great queen."  
"Keep telling yourself that."  
"I will punch you." Anna threatened, and Harry shielded his face. "You wouldn't hit someone with glasses!"  
"I would if they were annoying enough." Both the twins burst into peals of laughter. Harry looked at his sister as he panted for breath. "I'm sorry, I wish that I could make the nightmares go away."  
Anna shook her head. "I'm sure that they'll go away eventually." She stood up and stretched. "Sleeping on the couch was _not_ a good idea."   
Harry rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't have slept down here then."  
"I was exhausted, I didn't have any choice."   
"After classes today you should really try and get some rest." Harry urged her, and Anna sighed. "No promises." She went up to her dorm to get changed. Lavender and Parvati had already left, leaving just Anna and Hermione in the room. "I'm surprised you aren't downstairs with everyone else." Anna said as she slipped on her robes.  
"I was waiting for you." Hermione answered as she straightened her tie. "Anna, are you sure that you're alright?"   
Anna sighed. She couldn't hide it from her forever. "I've been having nightmares...about what happened on the train."  
Hermione frowned. "Anna, why didn't you tell me?"  
"I just didn't want you to worry about me."  
"Anna, I'm _always_ going to worry about you, you're like a sister to me."  
"I'm sure that they'll go away in a few days." Anna said as they walked down the halls.  
"And if they don't?"   
"Then I'll go to Madame Pomfrey and get a sleeping drought. Mione, the only thing that can cure this is time."  
"I suppose you're right." Hermione sighed as they walked into the Great Hall and sat down for breakfast. Anna grabbed some eggs, sausage, and fresh berries. She chatted with Ron as they ate; Ron told her that she and Harry should come over during the summer. "You can meet my parents and my little sister Ginny."  
"Oh, I'd love that, and I'm sure that Harry would too."

After breakfast, Anna had Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws. As if doing second year Transfiguration work wasn't stressful enough, she had to do it with the smartest house. Realizing that she was running late, Anna jumped up and ran out of the Great Hall, which turned out to be a big mistake, because she had run out alone....  
  


Anna was seconds from being late, and she had almost reached the classroom when someone grabbed her, covering her mouth so that she couldn't scream. She clawed and kicked, but it was no good, her attacker was bigger than she was, probably a sixth or seventh year. They blindfolded Anna, so she couldn't see where they had brought her, but it was freezing, so she assumed that they were in the dungeons somewhere. She was bound hand and foot before being shoved to the ground.   
"Not so tough without your little bodyguards are you?"  
The voice was muffled but Anna was sure that it belonged to Marcus Flint. She struggled against her bonds, but the ropes were done tightly, and she winced as they chafed her wrists. Marcus placed a hand on her cheek, causing Anna to freeze. "You shouldn't have gotten Lucy expelled." He said before smacking Anna's cheek hard, causing the girl to cry out in pain as her cheek began to throb. He smacked her again before gripping her tightly by her hair. "You caused her so much embarrassment and shame and now you're going to pay for all of it you little bitch." He kicked her in her stomach before shouting, " _Cruci_ o!"   
The pain that she had had so many nightmares about filled her body once more, and Anna screamed in pain and terror, tears pouring down her face. He shouted the curse again before kicking her in the ribs which would be sure to be left bruised, if not broken. Anna prayed silently that someone, _anyone_ , would find her, before it was too late.


	27. Chapter 27

For four weeks Anna had been stuck in the hospital ward. Hermione came every day, bringing Anna's homework. "Exams will be here before we know it, we have to study so that we can be prepared."  
Anna rolled her eyes. Apparently being injured didn't mean that she could escape homework. Then she heard about how Harry and Hermione had snuck a _dragon_ out of the castle.  
"How could you be so stupid?!" Anna berated them as they walked from the hospital wing to their common room after Madame Pomfrey had dismissed Anna after telling her that she had to come back every day so she could make sure Anna had fully healed from the Cruciatus Curse.  
"We had the invisibility cloak." Harry said, trying to calm Anna down as Hermione flinched at her sharp tone.   
"That doesn't matter!" Anna shouted. "You had a dragon! You two could have severely injured yourselves! What were you even doing with a dragon anyways? _How_ did you get a dragon?"   
"It was Hagrid's." Hermione explained. "It took us ages to convince him to get rid of it."  
Anna sighed softly. "How do you lot always manage to get into so much trouble?"   
"It must be the Potter genes." Harry laughed lightly. "Hermione's just along for the ride."  
Anna rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, so the two knew that they had been forgiven. Apparently, they had lost Gryffindor a huge amount of points as well. Anna recognized the looks that students gave Harry; she had received many of those herself when they had thought that she had staged the attack on Fred. Anna didn't understand why people were treating Harry so harshly. Sure he had lost their house some points, but it wasn't as if it was a matter of life and death.  
"Just ignore them." She advised Harry. "That's what I had to do."  
"I don't know how you did it." Harry said as they sat down on the couch.  
"It was hard." Anna admitted. "Really hard actually. Just remember that the people that matter know the truth, and that's all that really counts."   
"I'll try."

Exams came and went, and Anna was relieved to find out that she had passed second year Transfiguration with flying colors. She had passed History of Magic as well, despite sleeping through half of the classes. But then, so had every student besides Hermione and a few of the Ravenclaws. Anna had barely passed Potions, but really did anyone that wasn't a Slytherin. Hermione naturally passed everything with high marks.   
Now that exams were over with, Anna had time to try and find out more about Adriana Petrival, not that she was able to find out much more about her than she already had besides Adriana's early history, and even then it wasn't a lot.  
Adriana had lived a somewhat sad life. She was an only child, her mother had died giving birth to her. Her mother's death had utterly destroyed her father, and Adriana wound up having to work all hours to support them both. Then one day Adriana came home to find their house in flames. Her father was so desperate to be reunited with his love that he had set his house on fire and he died in the tragic incident. This was supposedly when Adriana had turned dark. She had supposedly gone on a rampage, killing nearly an entire village of druids before fleeing and going into hiding for years before having her final, fatal showdown with Merlin.  
Something about it all just didn't click with Anna. Yes, what had happened to Adriana's father had been terrible, but Anna didn't think that it would make someone to essentially go crazy and kill a whole village of people. It just didn't make any sense. She shook her head as she left the library, almost running right into Cedric.  
"What's got your head in the clouds?" He asked, chuckling as he looked down at her.   
"Sorry." Anna's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I was just thinking about something."   
"I could tell." Cedric yelped as Anna hit his arm. "Damn Potter, you've got quite an arm there, you would make a pretty good Beater."  
"Yeah right. Like Fred or George would ever give up their position to me."   
"That's true," Cedric admitted. "I can't really see them doing that either."   
Neither of them really had anything to do, so they just walked around the castle and talked. "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you when you were in the hospital wing." Cedric apologized as they walked.   
"It's alright." Anna said as she shook her head. "Between Hermione, Ron, Harry, and the twins, I've had a lot of visitors to keep me occupied. You wouldn't believe how many times Madame Pomfrey shooed the twins away."  
"Let me guess. She insisted that you needed your rest?"  
"You've had experience with her?" Anna asked and Cedric laughed as he nodded. "Being on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team gives you the chance of having that delightful experience."  
Anna laughed as well. She had missed this while she had been laid up. She felt like she could talk about anything with Cedric, and he wouldn't judge her for who she was.  
"Oi, Diggory!" A fifth year Slytherin named Jack Livingston sneered at them. Jack Livingston had raven-colored hair and icy blue eyes. "Found yourself a new girlfriend? Kind of young for you isn't she?"   
Anna groaned quietly. Was this seriously going to start up again?  
"Shove off Livingston." Cedric snapped. "I'm trying to have a _private_ conversation with my friend."   
"Are you sure that's all she is?" Jack said with a scoff.  
"I've had just about enough of this." Anna growled as she stormed up to Jack. "Listen here, you pervert. I am only _eleven_. I'm not even remotely interested in having a relationship with anyone! And the next person to suggest that I am is going to wind up with a black eye!" She stalked away, Cedric right on her tail, and they left a stunned Jack behind.


	28. Chapter 28

For four weeks Anna had been stuck in the hospital ward. Hermione came every day, bringing Anna's homework. "Exams will be here before we know it, we have to study so that we can be prepared."  
Anna rolled her eyes. Apparently being injured didn't mean that she could escape homework. Then she heard about how Harry and Hermione had snuck a _dragon_ out of the castle.  
"How could you be so stupid?!" Anna berated them as they walked from the hospital wing to their common room after Madame Pomfrey had dismissed Anna after telling her that she had to come back every day so she could make sure Anna had fully healed from the Cruciatus Curse.  
"We had the invisibility cloak." Harry said, trying to calm Anna down as Hermione flinched at her sharp tone.   
"That doesn't matter!" Anna shouted. "You had a dragon! You two could have severely injured yourselves! What were you even doing with a dragon anyways? _How_ did you get a dragon?"   
"It was Hagrid's." Hermione explained. "It took us ages to convince him to get rid it."  
Anna sighed softly. "How do you lot always manage to get into so much trouble?"   
"It must be the Potter genes." Harry laughed lightly. "Hermione's just along for the ride."  
Anna rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, so the two knew that they had been forgiven. Apparently they had lost Gryffindor a huge amount of points as well. Anna recognized the looks that students gave Harry; she had received many of those herself when they had thought that she had staged the attack on Fred. Anna didn't understand why people were treating Harry so harshly. Sure he had lost their house some points, but it wasn't as if it was a matter of life and death.  
"Just ignore them." She advised Harry. "That's what I had to do."  
"I don't know how you did it." Harry said as they sat down on the couch.  
"It was hard." Anna admitted. "Really hard actually. Just remember that the people that matter know the truth, and that's all that really counts."   
"I'll try."

Exams came and went, and Anna was relieved to find out that she had passed second year Transfiguration with flying colors. She had passed History of Magic as well, despite sleeping through half of the classes. But then, so had every student besides Hermione and a few of the Ravenclaws. Anna had barely passed Potions, but really did anyone that wasn't a Slytherin. Hermione naturally passed everything with high marks.   
Now that exams were over with, Anna had time to try and find out more about Adriana Petrival, not that she was able to find out much more about her than she already had besides Adriana's early history, and even then it wasn't a lot.  
Adriana had lived a somewhat sad life. She was an only child, her mother had died giving birth to her. Her mother's death had utterly destroyed her father, and Adriana wound up having to work all hours to support them both. Then one day Adriana came home to find their house in flames. Her father was so desperate to be reunited with his love that he had set his house on fire and he died in the tragic incident. This was supposedly when Adriana had turned dark. She had supposedly gone on a rampage,killing nearly an entire village of druids before fleeing and going into hiding for years before having her final, fatal showdown with Merlin.  
Something about it all just didn't click with Anna. Yes, what had happened to Adriana's father had been terrible, but Anna didn't think that it would make someone to essentially go crazy and kill a whole village of people. It just didn't make any sense. She shook her head as she left the library, almost running right into Cedric.  
"What's got your head in the clouds?" He asked, chuckling as he looked down at her.   
"Sorry." Anna's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I was just thinking about something."   
"I could tell." Cedric yelped as Anna hit his arm. "Damn Potter, you've got quite an arm there, you would make a pretty good Beater."  
"Yeah right. Like Fred or George would ever give up their position to me."   
"That's true," Cedric admitted. "I can't really see them doing that either."   
Neither of them really had anything to do, so they just walked around the castle and talked. "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you when you were in the hospital wing." Cedric apologized as they walked.   
"It's alright." Anna said as she shook her head. "Between Hermione, Ron, Harry, and the twins, I've had a lot of visitors to keep me occupied. You wouldn't believe how many times Madame Pomfrey shooed the twins away."  
"Let me guess. She insisted that you needed your rest?"  
"You've had experience with her?" Anna asked and Cedric laughed as he nodded. "Being on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team gives you the chance of having that delightful experience."  
Anna laughed as well. She had missed this while she had been laid up. She felt like she could talk about anything with Cedric, and he wouldn't judge her for who she was.  
"Oi, Diggory!" A fifth year Slytherin named Jack Livingston sneered at them. Jack Livingston had raven colored hair and icy blue eyes. "Found yourself a new girlfriend? Kind of young for you isn't she?"   
Anna groaned quietly. Was this seriously going to start up again?  
"Shove off Livingston." Cedric snapped. "I'm trying to have a _private_ conversation with my friend."   
"Are you sure that's all she is?" Jack said with a scoff.  
"I've had just about enough of this." Anna growled as she stormed up to Jack. "Listen here, you pervert. I am only _eleven_. I'm not even remotely interested in having a relationship with anyone! And the next person to suggest that I am is going to wind up with a black eye!" She stalked away, Cedric right on her tail, and they left a stunned Jack behind.


	29. Chapter 29

"That was bloody fantastic!" Cedric praised Anna. They were in the Hufflepuff common room. Cedric's common room was very warm and welcoming. It was circular in size and had low ceilings, almost resembling a badger's home. The windows were at ground level, and Anna could look out and see the Quidditch pitch, where the Ravenclaw team was currently practicing.  
Anna sat down in one of the oversized chairs, and Cedric sat in the chair next to her. "Remind me to never make you angry." Cedric said, causing Anna to laugh. "That would be a wise decision, Diggory."   
The Hufflepuffs didn't mind that Anna was there, in fact, they seemed happy to make a new friend.  
"Is it true that you're Harry Potter's sister?" One asked, and Anna nodded. "Yeah, I am."  
"No offense, but he seems kind of annoying."   
Anna laughed again. "Trust me, he has his moments."  
They all giggled, and Anna talked with them late into the night. When they finally noticed what time it was, Cedric said that he would walk Anna back, as he knew ways they could go so that they wouldn't run into any of the patrolling prefects. The last thing that Anna wanted was to get chewed out by Percy.  
After promising her new friends that she would visit again soon, Anna left with Cedric.  
"Sorry if they're talkative." Cedric talked quietly as they walked down the darkened hall.  
"It's okay." Anna replied. "It was nice actually. Everyone was super friendly."  
"Welcome to Hufflepuff." Cedric joked and Anna had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. "Shut up, you're going to get us caught!" She hissed, and Cedric rolled his eyes. "You worry too much."  
"No, I would rather just not get into trouble right when the school year is about to end."  
"You're no fun." Cedric stuck his tongue out at her, and Anna scoffed. "You're like, three years older than I am, why is it that _I'm_ the mature one?"  
They reached the Fat Lady then. Anna uttered the password and the portrait swung open. "I'll see you tomorrow." Anna said, and Cedric nodded. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."   
Anna walked into the common room, and she gasped when she saw Neville on the ground. "Neville!" She ran to his side and immediately recognized that he had been petrified. Luckily the petrification was starting to wear off, and she helped Neville to slowly sit up. "What happened? Who did this to you?"  
"Hermione..." Neville groaned and Anna gasped in shock. Hermione? But why? Neville continued to talk. "I found her, Harry, and Ron trying to sneak out of the common room. I tried to stop them and that was when Hermione petrified me."  
Anna sighed as she helped Neville up to his dorm. Where had the three gone? What was so important that Hermione felt the need to petrify Neville? Anna didn't know, and she wasn't about to venture out and find out. She did _not_ want to be caught by Filch.   
Anna yawned as she made her way back down to the common room. She was determined to stay up until the three returned. But sleep was starting to overcome her, and she drifted away to have yet another conversation with Adriana Petrival.

 _They weren't in the clearing like they had always been. Instead, they were in a graveyard._  
 _"Pretty drastic change of scenery." Anna commented, but Adriana didn't smile. In fact, she looked rather grim._  
 _"Why are we even here?" Anna asked_  
 _"In years to come, your brother will face Voldemort here, if he survives tonight."_  
 _"What do you mean?!" Anna yelped. Survive tonight? Was Harry in some kind of danger?_  
 _"As we speak, your brother is on his way to a confrontation with Voldemort, the wizard who is responsible for killing your parents."_  
 _"I have to go and help him!" Anna cried out, and Adriana shook her head._ _"This is Harry's fight; he has to fight it alone."_  
 _"But he could get himself killed!"_  
 _"You need to have faith in your brother; he is stronger than you realize."_  
 _Anna nodded, but she couldn't help worrying. What if something happened? What if he got hurt, or killed?_  
 _"Trust in your brother," Adriana said as she began to fade away._

Anna gasped as she awoke and shot up straight. She didn't care what Adriana said, she had to make sure that her brother was alright. She tore through the hallways, her heart pounding as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her, running smack dab into Professor Dumbledore.   
"Professor..." Anna panted as she attempted to catch her breath. "I think...that Harry....might be...in trouble."  
"I shall tend to it." Dumbledore said. "You return-"  
Anna shook her head. "Professor, if my brother's in trouble, then there's no way that you're leaving me behind."  
"Miss Potter, I cannot help your brother if I am also worried about you."  
Anna went to retort, but she bit her lip at the look that Dumbledore gave her. He was right; Anna would just have to trust that he knew what he was doing. Anna watched as he quickly walked down the hall.   
"Anna!"  
Anna turned to see Hermione walking with Ron, who was cradling his arm and looked as though he had a pounding headache. "What in Godric's name happened?"   
"I'll explain everything later." Hermione answered. "Right now, I need your help getting Ron to Madame Pomfrey."  
Anna nodded and together, they got him to the hospital wing.   
"How you four always manage to get into trouble and get yourselves hurt is beyond my comprehension."  
Anna wanted to ask Hermione what had happened, but Hermione looked so distressed about Ron that Anna decided now wasn't the time to ask.  
Ron turned out to have a broken arm and a mild concussion, but thankfully, it wasn't anything more serious than that.   
Pomfrey had just set Ron's cast when Dumbledore came in, an unconcious Harry in his arms. Anna let out a small cry and Hermione wrapped her in a tight hug. "He'll be alright," Hermione soothed her as Anna sobbed in her arms. She shouldn't have listened to Dumbledore, she should have tried to help Harry. Now she didn't even know if he was alive.   
She anxiously waited for Pomfrey to finish her examination, her heart sinking with each minute that passed.   
"He's alive." Pomfrey said finally, and Anna felt her legs buckle. She had never felt so relieved in her entire life.  
"He'll need plenty of rest." Pomfrey continued. "And he won't wake up for two or three days."  
She made everyone leave so that she could properly tend to Harry, and Pomfrey promises Anna that she would inform her as soon as Harry was awake.  
Anna and Hermione ran into Cedric out in the hall, and he seemed to know that Anna needed some comfort. He hugged Anna, and she clung to him tightly.  
"I'll take care of her," he whispered to Hermione, and she nodded and walked off, leaving Anna to take comfort in Cedric's arms.

**AA/N: Anna's first year is going to be wrapping up in the next chapter or two. What have you guys thought so far? Should I continue on in Chamber of Secrets? Let me know in the comments.**


	30. Chapter 30

Anna had gone with Cedric back to the Hufflepuff common room, and they had talked for a little bit before she eventually fell asleep, her head on his shoulder. Harry hadn't woken up the next day, or even the day after that. It was three days before she got the news that Harry had finally woken up. Anna ran all the way from the courtyard to the hospital wing. Harry grinned as he looked at her. "Hey sis."   
"How dare you scare me like that, Harry James Potter!" Anna scolded him. "Don't you do anything like that ever again!"  
"Well I'm sorry, but if I hadn't, Voldemort would have gotten the stone!"   
Anna frowned slightly. "Voldemort?"  
"Yeah, he was on the back of Quirrel's head!"  
"Slow down Harry, start from the beginning."  
Harry began to explain, and the way that Anna understood it, Voldemort and Quirrel had been joined, and were trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Thanks to Harry, they hadn't succeeded. "Harry, you could have gotten yourself killed."  
"I know...." Harry sighed softly. "I'm sorry for worrying you."   
Anna shook her head. "You're just lucky that you made it out with minor injuries. Did Madame Pomfrey say when you could be released?"  
"Yeah, Dumbledore is having her release me in time for the Feast tonight."   
Tonight was the end of year Feast, and Anna's eyes widened. She had completely forgotten that it was the Feast tonight and that tomorrow they would be going home. "Shoot, I have to go and pack!" She ran out of the room, Harry's laughter following her.

She dashed into the girls dorms, essentially throwing everything into her trunk. Apollo came in, and he set a letter down on her bed. It was from the Grangers. Anna ripped it open and began to read. Anna would indeed be spending the summer with them, and Mr. Granger was also working on getting adoption papers for Uncle Vernon to sign to hand over guardianship of Anna.   
Tears filled Anna's eyes as she sat on her bed, reading this last part again and again. Adoption...the Grangers were going to adopt her? But Harry....Anna was worried about him. The Grangers were only adopting her; Harry would have to go back home to the Dursleys. Anna didn't know if she should let him go through that alone, that was something she would talk with him about on the train ride home.  
Anna finished packing and she realized that she was late for the Feast. She scurried down to the Great Hall. Red and gold banners decorated the room, indicating that Gryffindor had won the House Cup. Anna stared at the decorations in confusion. Last she had seen, Slytherin had been in first place. What had happened to make Gryffindor suddenly come out in first? Anna sat down, and Seamus explained to her that Dumbledore had given out points at the last minute to Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Neville, which had given them the opportunity that they had needed to win. "Are you okay?" He stared at her with concern. "You look like you've been crying."   
"I'm okay." Anna assured him. "Just...not quite ready to go home yet."  
Anna filled her plate with numerous goodies. "Harry...." She looked across the table at her brother and bit her lip. "The Grangers....they want to adopt me...."  
"Hey, that's great!" Harry grinned brightly at his sister. "So why do you look like you wanna break into tears then?"  
"Because that would mean that I would have to leave you to suffer with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia by yourself."  
Harry sighed softly. "I'll be fine, Anna." He said. "Trust me. You need to go. You seemed to be so happy when you went home with Hermione for Christmas."  
"I just...." Anna looked down at her plate. "I feel like I'm abandoning you."  
"Anna, you aren't abandoning me." Harry reached across the table, taking her hand and placing it in his own. "You survived so much, what I went through wasn't anything compared to what our Aunt and Uncle did to you. You deserve happiness, and I honestly think this is how you'll get it."  
Anna wanted to hug him, but she obviously couldn't reach across the table and do that, not without spilling multiple drinks in the process.  
"Besides...." Harry said as a playful smirk formed on his lips. "I'm going to have fun performing magic around them."  
"But Harry, magic isn't allowed outside of school for underage wizards."  
"You know that, and I know that, but the Dursleys don't know that."  
Anna shook her head as she laughed. He was right, Harry would be just fine.

The next day when they pulled into King's Cross, and exited Platform 9¾ and entered the main station, Anna was accosted almost immediately by Uncle Vernon. "You shall not be coming home with us girl." He said with a sneer. "That family that you spent Christmas with adopted you, I signed the papers the other morning. Have fun with your freak family."   
"They aren't freaks." Anna said. She was tired of Uncle Vernon and his childish behavior. "They're a lovely family, more lovely than you could ever dream of being. And Hermione's parents aren't even magical, they're just like you. But even if they did have magic, they would still be better than you can ever be!" She stood on her tiptoes, looking Uncle Vernon right in the eye. He flinched, looking slightly nervous. "And another thing," Anna continued. "If you so much as harm one hair on Harry's head, I know a curse so painful that you'll be begging for me to kill you. So don't test me." Naturally she wouldn't _really_ use the Cruciatus Curse on anyone, but Uncle Vernon didn't know that, and the look of terror that formed in his eyes told her that he didn't want to test her and find out. Turning on her heel, she went and joined Hermione and her parents, whole told Anna that since she was a part of their family she could, if she felt so inclined, call them Mum and Dad.  
"We know that we won't really be able to replace your parents dear." Mrs. Granger said as they walked to the car. "But we just hope that you know that we'll take care of you."  
"I know you will..." Anna smiled softly. "Mum." Mrs. Granger was right, she could never truly replace Anna's real mother. But Anna had a feeling that Lily Potter was looking down at them, smiling at the fact that Anna had finally found people who loved her. Oh yes, this would be a great summer indeed.


	31. Year Two: Chapter 1

Anna Potter was pacing around in Ron Weasley's room. It was nearing the end of summer and she hadn't heard from her brother Harry since the beginning of the holidays, and she was starting to get worried about him. Ron hadn't heard from him either. "Maybe he's forgotten about us."  
Anna had spent the summer going back and forth between the Weasleys and the Grangers, her adoptive parents. The Grangers had adopted Anna over the summer after hearing how horribly her Aunt and Uncle had been treating her. There were only a few weeks left until school started, and Anna was spending the remainder of it with Ron and his family. Molly had doted on her, making sure that Anna had plenty to eat, giving her seconds and sometimes even thirds. Anna was surprised she hadn't gained more weight than she already had.  
Anna looked at Ron, who was cleaning up the game of wizards chess that they had just finished. Ron, of course, had creamed her. He was a whiz at chess.  
"You know that he wouldn't forget about us." Anna said as she paced, her shoulder length ginger hair tied up in a loose ponytail.   
"What other explanation is there?" Ron demanded and Anna groaned in exasperation. "I don't know! Maybe the Dursleys aren't letting him send or receive any mail." Anna sighed as she sat on his bed, fiddling with her thumbs. Suddenly Fred and George popped their heads in. "Why the long faces?"  
Anna and Ron explained how they hadn't heard from Harry in ages.   
"Why don't we go and get him then?" Fred asked, and Anna shook her head. "The Dursleys won't let him back into the wizarding world until they absolutely have to."  
"So we get him at night then." George stated this like it was obvious. "Get him while the Dursleys are all sleeping."   
"How would we even get there?" Anna asked, and the twins exchanged knowing smirks. "Leave that to us."  
Anna rolled her eyes. Somehow that worried her even more.

Anna busied herself for the rest of the day, wondering what the twins were planning, and how much trouble it would get them into if they were to get caught. Night fell, and one by one the Weasleys went to bed. Ginny was first, followed by Percy, and then Molly and Arthur.  
Around midnight Anna snuck out of the room that she was sharing with Ginny and crept downstairs to the kitchen where she met up with Ron and the twins.  
"Follow us." Fred said, and the twins led the two younger ones out to the garage, where there was a light blue Ford Anglia.  
"Are we driving then?" Anna asked, and George laughed lightly. "Not exactly. Just get in and you'll find out soon enough."   
Shaking her head, Anna climbed into the backseat. Fred sat next to her, and George and Fred sat in front. They pulled out, and it wasn't until they were at the end of the driveway that Anna realized they were no longer on the ground. The car was _flying_.   
"Bloody hell!" Anna gasped, and Fred sniggered. "Bet you weren't expecting that, were you Annie?"   
Anna blushed darkly as she lightly shoved him. "Oh shut up."   
They flew into the dark night, and Anna looked at all of the stars and their constellations. It was partly cloudy, but the stars still twinkled brilliantly.  
"Enjoying the view?" Fred teased, and Anna nodded. "Yeah, it's beautiful."  
Fred sighed softly. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"  
"Yeah, I am. The Dursleys could be doing any number of things to Harry."  
"Harry's a tough bloke, he'll make it through."  
"I know that." Anna sighed. "But I can't help but feel like maybe I should have stayed with him."  
"You're kidding." Fred's eyes widened slightly. "Anna, they were terrible to you, much more so than it seems like they were to Harry."  
"But Fred-"  
"You need to stop talking like that," Fred said sternly, and George and Ron bit back their laughs at the lecture that Anna was getting. "Anna, even if you had stayed, you wouldn't have been able to help him. You would have just gotten hurt in the process."  
"I guess." Anna mumbled, and Fred placed a hand on her back. "Try not to blame yourself, alright?"  
Anna nodded, and Fred wrapped her in a hug.  
"Much as I hate to interrupt this mushy, gushy moment," George said, a small smirk on his face, "but we're almost there, and I need Anna to show us where to go."  
Anna blushed again, deeper this time as she showed them the right house. She frowned as she saw bars on Harry's window.  
"That's new." She muttered as they pulled up to the window. A minute later Harry's head appeared in the window. He seemed bleary-eyed, as though he had been sleeping. He slid the window open. "Anna!" He exclaimed as his hands gripped the metal bars. "What are you doing here?"  
"Busting you out." Anna grinned as she gestured to the Weasleys gathered in the car with her. "And I've brought some backup along with me."   
Fred, George, and Ron all waved to Harry. "You alright mate?" Fred asked, and Harry nodded. "I'm better now that you're here."  
"Get your trunk and things together." Said George. "We're getting you out of here."  
"I can't." Harry answered. "My school stuff is locked in the downstairs cupboard, I'm lucky they even let me keep Hedwig up here."  
"Leave that to us!" Fred and George said simultaneously. Even after spending the summer with the Weasleys, and a whole school year before that, how the twins managed to do that still creeped Anna out.   
Somehow they managed to get the bars off of Harry's window without making too much of a racket. Fred, George, and Anna climbed into Harry's room, while Ron stayed in the Anglia.  
"Harry, you get into the car with Ron." Anna directed. She kept her voice low so as not to wake the sleeping Dursleys. "Take Hedwig with you. Fred, George and I will get your things from downstairs. Harry nodded as he took Hedwig's cage and climbed into the car, placing Hedwig in the backseat.   
Anna slowly opened Harry's bedroom door. Or rather, she tried to. Naturally Uncle Vernon had locked it. She watched as Fred took out a lockpick and started to work on the door.   
"You know how to pick locks?" Anna asked, and George grinned. "It's a rather Muggle skill, but a useful one."  
The lock was picked seconds later, and they ventured out to the dark hallway.  
"Be careful on the last step." Anna whispered. "It creaks."   
They skipped the bottom step entirely, hopping down from the second to last step. It was George that picked the next lock, and they went into the cupboard.   
Fred and George grabbed Harry's trunk and they were carrying it up the stairs went Uncle Vernon came out of the kitchen, a cookie in his hand. His gaze met Anna's.  
"YOU!!" He snarled.  
"RUN!" Anna shouted to the twins, and they quickened their pace. Anna was almost to the top of the stairs when Uncle Vernon grabbed her ankle and she fell, smacking her forehead on the step.   
"Keep going!" She shouted to Fred and George, who had turned around to make sure that she was alright.  
Anna kicked her foot, catching Uncle Vernon in the nose. She scrambled up the steps and ran after Fred and George, who were in the process of shoving Harry's trunk in the back of the Anglia. Fred helped Anna get into the car, and the twins jumped inside just as Uncle Vernon burst into the room.  
"See you next summer!" Harry called out, waving to Uncle Vernon as the car shot off.  
Fred frowned as he inspected Anna's forehead. "That's a good sized lump on your head."  
"I'm alright." Anna insisted. She yawned a bit, and Fred chuckled softly. "Get some sleep, I'll wake you when we get home."  
Anna nodded and she laid her head on his shoulder, quickly falling asleep.


	32. Chapter 2

George, who was driving, glanced back at Anna and Fred. Anna was still asleep on Fred's shoulder.  
"Someone's gotten rather cozy." George snickered and Fred flushed darkly. "Piss off Georgie."  
"Aw, is Freddie embarrassed?"  
"And what would I be embarrassed of?"   
"The fact that you have a crush on Anna." Harry chimed in, and Fred rolled his eyes as he blushed even darker. "I don't have a crush on Anna."   
Anna stirred, and Fred froze until she went still again. "You two better be quiet or you'll wake her."  
"And then you'll be dead." Ron whispered. "I accidentally woke her up once, and she just about hexed me."  
"Note to self: never interrupt Anna's beauty sleep." George snickered, but Ron looked dead serious. "It's no laughing matter! I'm surprised that she didn't give me a donkey tail or something like that."  
"I was damn near close." Anna muttered, and Ron gulped, fearing her wrath. Anna glared at him. "You interrupt my sleep again and I'll turn you into a full donkey and not give you just the tail."  
"I told you not to wake her." Ron grumbled to George.  
"We're almost home anyways." George answered. Now we just need to sneak Harry and his things inside without waking Mum and Dad."  
The car touched the ground, and George pulled it into the garage. They got Harry's trunk out and walked into the yard. Anna gulped nervously when she saw Molly storming towards them.  
"Uh-oh." Ron muttered as Molly started yelling.   
"Do you have _any_ idea how worried I was?! None of you in your beds, not even a note!"   
"We had to get Harry Mum!" George protested. "They were starving him and basically keeping him prisoner. Plus his Uncle hurt Anna."  
"He what?!" Molly stopped her rampage and inspected the gash on Anna's forehead. "Oh dear...let's get you inside, I've got a salve that'll fix you right up."  
"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley." Anna murmured.  
"It's not your fault that you got caught up in the boys shenanigans."  
Ron and the twins looked shocked that Anna was escaping punishment.  
Wrapping an arm around Anna, Molly led her inside, and had her sit in a chair in the kitchen. Ginny came running down the stairs, but as soon as she saw Harry, she ran right upstairs again.   
"She's been like this all summer," Ron muttered to Harry, who nodded in slight confusion.   
Anna watched as Molly took a jar out of a cabinet. "Now this might sting a little dear." Molly warned as she opened the jar, and Anna's nose wrinkled at the smell.  
Scooping some of the sour smelling stuff onto her fingers, Molly smeared it onto Anna's cut, and Anna hissed sharply.  
"There." Molly said with a smile. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it? Now, I'm going to fix you and Harry something to eat, and you two can pop off to bed while Ron and the twins degnome the garden."  
She fixed Anna and Harry some pancakes with butter and maple syrup, and thick slices of bacon, which they quickly devoured. Anna could never seem to get enough of Molly's cooking. The pancakes were light and fluffy, and the bacon crispy.  
Molly refilled their plates, and the Potter twins had to stop her from doing it a third time, insisting that they had had plenty to eat.  
Harry decided to forego sleep and go out and help with the garden instead.   
Anna, however, was more than happy to go upstairs and get some sleep. She trudged upstairs, collapsing on her bed and quickly falling asleep.  
  
  


_Anna hadn't seen Adriana all summer, so she had known that it was only a matter of time before they talked again._   
_"You've had a busy night." Adriana remarked, and Anna chuckled softly. "I guess that you could say that. Haven't seen you in a while."_   
_"I thought that I would give you a little bit of a respite." Adriana responded. "I can imagine that my visits take a toll on you."_   
_"Well thank you for that. I promise I'll try and find out what really happened when I return to school. It's just hard because I can't seem to find anything. All of the books I've read talk about your early history and how you killed everyone in that Druid village."_   
_Adriana frowned. "I never killed anyone, and I must definitely wouldn't kill an entire village of people."_   
_"I believe you." Anna quickly assured her. "But not a lot of people do, and without evidence, they never will. There weren't any eyewitnesses, people only had Merlin's word to go on."_   
_Adriana sighed softly. "Merlin was a very powerful wizard, and had ways of making people see things differently."_   
_"What do you mean?" Anna asked, but Adriana shook her head. "You will find out soon enough."_   
_She started to fade away, leaving Anna more puzzled than ever._


	33. Chapter 3

It was about a week until school started when Molly decided that everyone should go and get their books and things. Anna read her list as they walked through Diagon Alley. Nearly all of the books that they needed were by a bloke named Gilderoy Lockhart.  
"Mum fancies him," Fred whispered loudly, and he was promptly whacked on the head by a red-faced Molly. Just their luck, Lockhart was having a book signing at Flourish and Blotts that day. Molly was quite indeed enchanted by Lockhart, which made Anna roll her eyes. As if that alone didn't make things dandy, when they had used Floo powder to get from the Burrow to Diagon Alley, Harry had somehow managed to wind up in Knockturn Alley. Thankfully Hagrid had been in Knockturn Alley and had found him before he had gotten into too much trouble.  
"Honestly, you're probably the clumsiest boy that I've ever met." Anna teased him as they walked into Flourish and Blotts. Every witch that was there seemed to be wanting to get Lockhart's new autobiography.  
Anna couldn't see what was so special about him; he was an ass in her opinion, and a pompous one at that. While Molly was gazing at Lockhart like a schoolgirl, Anna wandered around the store, gazing at all of the different books that were on the shelves.  
"If it isn't the itsy-bitsy Potter."  
Anna rolled her eyes before turning to face Pansy. "Hello Parkinson."  
"I heard that you're living with that Mudblood Granger and her family."  
Anna glared at Pansy as she withdrew her wand. "I suggest that you choose your next words very carefully."  
Pansy sneered at her. "No magic outside of school, remember?"  
"Then that gives me the opportunity to do this." Anna launched herself at Pansy, who screamed as Anna punched and smacked her. Suddenly Anna was pulled off of Pansy by Molly.  
"What in Merlin's name has gotten into you?!" Molly demanded as Pansy stood up, her parents rushing over.  
"What happened darling?" Rose Parkinson cooed as she inspected her daughter's face. Cassius Parkinson stared at Molly and Anna coldly. "I wasn't aware that you had two daughters Molly."   
Molly stared at him just as coldly. "Anna is James and Lily's girl, she's spending the summer with us."  
"You really should teach her to respect her betters."   
"Or maybe you should teach your daughter to not be such a selfish prick." Anna growled as her hands clenched into fists. She had to keep herself from attacking Cassius as well. She instead turned to Molly. "I don't regret doing it; Pansy called Hermione a Mudblood."  
Now Anna wasn't the only angry one, Molly was fuming as well. "You should really teach your daughter manners Cassius."   
Cassius chuckled darkly. "Pansy just knows where she sits on the food chain, something Potter obviously needs to learn." He gazed down at Anna. "Don't test a Parkinson girl, you never know what might happen."  
"I know perfectly well what would happen." Anna replied hotly. "Nothing. That's what would happen. Because with your precious Dark Lord, you're an utter coward."  
Cassius went to retort, but Molly took Anna by the shoulders and led her away. "You shouldn't have fought Pansy," she scolded, but Molly had a small smirk on her face so Anna knew that she wouldn't be in too much trouble.   
"It's bad enough that Arthur got into it with Lucius..." Molly continued as they walked to the front of the store, which was a complete mess.   
"Where have you been?" Ron ran over to Anna. "You missed it, Dad got into a fistfight with Malfoy's father!"   
"Anna was having a fistfight of her own." Molly said sternly, and Anna told Ron about her fight with Pansy.  
"Bloody hell..." Ron whispered in slight awe. "You really do know how to piss off the wrong families don't you?"  
Anna shrugged her shoulders as she grinned.  
"You're just as bad as your father." Molly scolded her. "You may look exactly like your mother, but you have James's knack for getting into trouble."  
"That's the best compliment that you could possibly give me, Molly." Anna giggled, and Molly rolled her eyes. "Exactly like James."  
"Why is it that destruction seems to follow you wherever you go?" A grinning Cedric walked up to Anna. "If you aren't careful, people will start to think that the Potter name is cursed."  
"Cedric!" Anna exclaimed happily as she hugged him. "What are you doing here?"  
"Same as you." Cedric answered. "Getting the many, many books by Lockhart that we need for school. Hi, Mrs. Weasley."  
"Hello, Cedric." Mrs. Weasley smiled before turning to what must have been Cedric's father. "Afternoon Amos, how have you been?"   
"Pretty well Molly." Amos replied. "Yourself?"  
"Busy as usual."  
"Father and I are going to get some ice cream once we've finished here." Cedric turned to Anna. "Would you like to join us?"  
"Can I?" Anna looked pleadingly at Molly, who turned to Amos. Amos shrugged. "I don't see a problem with that. We can drop her off at the Burrow in time for supper."  
Molly nodded. "You better stay on your best behavior Anna."   
"I will!" Anna assured her, and Molly talked with Amos a few more minutes before leaving with Harry and the rest of the Weasleys.  
Cedric grinned as he turned to Anna. "Shall we?" 

Fred watched as Anna walked off with Cedric and Amos, a slight frown on the ginger's face.  
"You alright mate?" George asked as he nudged his brother's shoulder.   
"Hmm?" Fred turned to face him. "Oh...yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled, and a small smirk appeared on George's face. "Are you jealous?"  
"Jealous?" Fred scoffed. "Of what?"  
"Of the fact that Anna would rather spend time with Cedric than with you."  
"I'm not jealous." Fred insisted, and George rolled his eyes. "Sure you're not, and I'm the bloody Prime Minister. Fred, one thing about being your twin is that I can tell when you're lying...you like Anna, don't you?"  
Fred groaned in defeat. "Maybe just a tiny bit."  
George grinned at him. "So then why haven't you bloody told her yet?"  
"Are you kidding?!" Fred looked at him like he was crazy. "I can't just tell my best friend that I love her!"  
"Lee is going to be so hurt when he finds out that he isn't your best friend. And that you don't love him; he's gonna be crushed. Maybe I can set him up with Diggory or perhaps Nott."  
"Oh shut up." Fred grumbled as he lightly shoved his twin. "There's also the matter of her only being twelve years old. I can't exactly ask her out without being seen as some kind of pervert."  
"So wait then." George said. "You've heard her, she's not even remotely interested in dating right now anyways. Wait a year or two, and by then she might be ready."  
Fred nodded quietly. When he was ready to ask her, he could only hope that someone hadn't beaten him to the punch.


	34. Chapter 34

Anna loved being with Cedric and his dad, Amos was one of the kindest people she had met, she could see where Cedric had gotten it from. Amos asked her all sorts of questions. What life had been like with the Dursleys, what her favorite class was, and how she and Cedric had met were just some of the things that she answered.

"What do you think of having Lockhart as our new DADA professor?" Cedric asked, and Anna almost choked on her butter pecan ice cream. "What? Gilderoy Lockhart is our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

"Yeah, you mean you didn't know?"

Anna shook her head. "I had just assumed that the new professor was one of the many witches with a crush on him. I didn't think that we would actually have to deal with his pompous ass."

Amos chuckled softly. "I'm guessing that you aren't a fan of Mr. Lockhart then?"

"Oh Godric no." Anna shuddered a bit. "I'm as much a fan of his as I am of the Parkinsons."

Cedric smirked a bit. "Speaking of, I heard about your little encounter with Pansy earlier."

"She deserved it." Anna scowled. "The little b-" She caught herself just in the nick of time, and she glanced at Amos, who was looking at her with an amused twinkle in his eyes. Anna blushed lightly before fixing her gaze on her ice cream, which was starting to melt.

"So...you and Cedric seem to be pretty good friends." Amos said, and Anna nodded. "Cedric was one of the first friends that I had made at Hogwarts."

"He told me that there were some pretty nasty rumours spread about you; you seemed to handle yourself rather well."

"I tried." Anna blushed darkly at the compliment. "It didn't really help that the person spreading the rumours was extremely jealous."

"You were very lucky." Amos said seriously. "Not everyone comes back from the Cruciatus Curse as well as you did."

Anna nodded; she realized just how lucky she had been. If Cedric hadn't saved her, she most likely would have died. "If it wasn't for your son, I probably wouldn't have made it."

Cedric rubbed her back. "I'll always be here for you." 

Amos chuckled softly. "Are you sure that you two are just friends?"

"Dad!" Cedric objected as Anna blushed darker than she had ever blushed before. Amos laughed heartily before taking out a pocketwatch and checking the time. "Oh dear, it's getting late, we should be getting you home."

Anna nodded and she quickly finished her ice cream, almost getting a brain freeze in the process. 

They Floo'ed back to the Burrow, and Cedric gave Anna a quick hug before leaving with his father.

"Did you have fun dear?" Molly asked and Anna nodded. "Yeah, it was great." 

Anna went up the stairs, passing Fred and George, who stopped talking as she went by. Anna sighed and she shook her head. Whatever they were talking about they obviously didn't want Anna to know about it.

When they went to King's Cross station about a week later, Anna looked around for Hermione and her parents, grinning when she saw them. "Mum! Dad!" She ran over, hugging them tightly. Even though they weren't actually her parents, they were as close to parents as Anna could remember having. Mr. Granger smiled as he hugged his adoptive daughter. "How was your time with the Weasleys?" 

"Oh it was great!" Anna said. "I had a lot of fun."

"I missed you terribly." Hermione said. "Have you had any visits from Adriana?"

"One, I'll tell you about it on the train." Anna hugged Mr. and Mrs. Granger one more time before pulling Hermione onto the Hogwarts Express. They found an empty compartment, and Anna told her about the dream that she'd had, and the conversation she'd had with Adriana.

"It doesn't make any sense." Hermione said. "Why would Merlin try and frame Adriana for those murders?"

"Maybe because the real culprit was someone that Merlin cared about." Anna mused. "I wish that I could figure this out, but I have a feeling that the only way that would happen were if I was somehow able to go back in time."

"There are ways," Hermione said, and Anna looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You could use a time turner, but if you use a time turner to go back more than five hours, the results on you could be dire or even catastrophic."

"So that's out then." Anna said with a disappointed groan. She felt guilty that she was seemingly unable to help Adriana. "Now I'm gonna have her haunting my dreams for the rest of my life."

"I'm sure that you'll find some way to help her." Hermione said soothingly as she rubbed Anna's back, trying to console her. "Don't give up hope."

The girls talked for a few more minutes before Hermione went off in search of Harry and Ron. Almost as soon as she had left, Draco and his goons Crabbe and Goyle came in. 

"Hello Potter." Draco said with a sneer.

"Malfoy." Anna greeted him coldly, her hazel eyes staring at him icily. "What the hell do you want?" 

"I'm in need of some entertainment and I couldn't find your brother and that blood traitor Weaselbee."

Anna's hands clenched into fists. "Don't talk about Ron like that!"

"Why not? It's true; he hangs out with that Mudblood. Although you live with Granger, so I suppose that you're even more of a blood traitor than he is."

"You shut your mouth!" Anna shouted as she jumped up, but was pushed back into her seat by Crabbe. 

"You aren't going anywhere Potter." Draco chuckled darkly, and Anna's eyes widened slightly. She didn't know what he had planned, but she knew that it wouldn't be good.

"Scared now that Diggory isn't here to protect you Potter? Not such a big shot now are you? When you got Flint expelled, you cost us both one of our Chasers and our team Captain. And you're going to pay for that." Draco nodded to Crabbe and Goyle, who cracked their knuckles as Draco closed the drape on the window of the door of the compartment. 

Goyle grabbed Anna and shoved her to the ground, and Anna cried out as Crabbe kicked her in the stomach. Draco cast a silencing charm around the compartment so that no one would hear her anguished and pained cries. He smirked as he knelt down next to her. "You're going to lay for everything Potter." He whispered into her ear before walking out, leaving Crabbe and Goyle to deal with her as they saw fit.

The two thugs left Anna bruised and battered. Her stomach was lined with bruises, and she was sure that her nose had been broken as well. She stood, wincing as she clutched at her side. Looking out the window, she could see that they were pulling into Hogsmeade. She limped out into the corridor, and Parvati Patil rushed over to her. "Anna, you look absolutely terrible! What happened?!"

"Draco and his friends." Anna answered as Parvati helped her off of the train. Hagrid lumbered over. "What 'appened 'ere?"

"Draco and his goons." Parvati answered. "They roughed her up rather good I'm afraid."

"We better get yer to Madame Pomfrey."

"I'll do it." Parvati offered and Hagrid nodded. "That would be a bit help Parvati, thank yer."

Now that they were second years, they took carriages instead of the boats. It looked like there was nothing pulling the carriages, so Anna assumed that they must have been pulled by invisible horses or something like that. Parvati helped Anna into the carriage, and Anna slumped against the seat, suddenly feeling very tired. She tried to fight it off, but ultimately failed, and slipped into oblivion as Parvati shouted Anna's name.


End file.
